[OPLINLIST] OPLIN Budget Update

[Carol Roddy]

We have had some questions this past week, and a clarification is in =
order.

The February 21, 2005 Library HOTLINE accurately reported that the =
Governor=92s proposed budget for OPLIN includes a 10% cut in General =
Revenue Funds (GRF).  GRF is the money OPLIN actually receives from the =
state.

However, HOTLINE=92s statement that =93technology spending would jump from =
$1 million to $3 million" should be clarified. The portion of OPLIN=92s =
budget they refer to is the fund into which we deposit money from two =
sources. The "spending" is actually "spending authority" over those funds, =
if any exist.

The primary source is money from E-rate refunds when we have them. We =
anticipate that there will be E-rate money in the fund and that it will be =
earmarked for network contingencies. These contingencies could include =
costs resulting from any changes to telecommunications that are necessitate=
d by the demise of the state's primary contract with SBC-the SOMACS =
contract. In addition, we should be able to use some E-rate refund money =
to make up for the cuts in GRF funding. That is already true this year, =
and no increase to our spending authority would have been required.

The reason there was a sharp increase in spending authority over that fund =
was to allow us to expand the library-paid database program. One or two =
large contracts would have pushed us over our ability to process payments =
received from libraries through state accounting. In short, there will be =
no =93jump in spending=94 unless there is a jump in the group database =
program, as there is no jump in available funds.=20