BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish Library issued a statement responding to Mayor-President Sid Edwards' proposal to take from their funding to increase pay for Baton Rouge police officers, refuting his claims that the library has a surplus.

Edwards said the library has a "budget surplus" from "years of overtaxation of citizens" in a press release sent out Thursday. However, the library refutes that there is a surplus.

"The mayor’s press release announcing the resolution included budgetary information about the library. It incorrectly stated that the library had a surplus of $114 million. The library does not have a surplus," a statement from the library said.

The library said they have a projected ending fund balance of over $92,000,000, which is the entirety of next year's operating budget. The library also said the fund balance contains designated funds for approved capital improvement projects, which is necessary since the library does not borrow or bond money.

Additionally, the library refuted the mayor's statement that the library's budget "greatly surpasses the national average," saying that the parish's system, which is open seven days a week with "expansive hours" cannot be compared with library systems that do not operate seven days a week with those hours. It warns that if the library is absorbed back into the city-parish general fund, the library will "most likely have to roll back the hours and days our libraries are open."

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library system also said it is currently funded almost entirely by a 10-year, dedicated property tax and it is proposing a renewal at 10.5 mills, which is lower than the previous years of 11.5 mills. This proposal will be presented at Wednesday's Metro Council meeting.