2025 Financial Statement

Revenue

Ritter Public Library receives its main income from the following areas: 

  1. Property Taxes (tax levy)
  2. State Public Library Fund (PLF)
  3. Interest on investments, fines, copy machine fees, donations, etc. 
2025 Revenue: Property Tax Levy 50%, Public Library Fund 41%, Donations 5%, Fines/Fees/Investments 4%

Property taxes (levy funds) make up half of the total revenue for the Library. Levy funds are vital for the operation and success of Ritter Public Library. Ohio’s Public Library Fund (PLF), which makes up 41% of the library’s revenue, was previously based on monthly General Revenue Fund (GRF) tax revenues (sales tax, personal income tax, and Commercial Activity tax). Each month, the PLF would receive 1.7% of the state’s total tax revenue that goes into the GRF. However, the State has changed the way the PLF is funded, and libraries are now an appropriation line item. This change created the need to re-evaluate staffing levels and other operating costs in order to make significant cuts to our annual budget. 

Expenditures

2025 Expenditures: Salaries & Fringe Benefits 64%, Collection Development & Processing 17%, Facilities Operation & Maintenance 12%, Other Operating Expenses 6%, Capital Outlay 1%

Ritter Public Library focuses the majority of its spending on Public Service, which includes staffing and programming. Library Materials and Expenditures make up 29% of the budget. These funds include all print, electronic, audio-visual, and other materials costs. The library’s daily operation, maintenance and processing costs make up the remaining 8%. All of the funding that goes to Ritter Public Library is essential in the library’s ability to serve the community to its full potential. Ritter Public Library is committed to responsible stewardship of public funds, striving to serve the community to the greatest degree possible.