The Vancouver Island Regional Library board is seeking a seven per cent increase in its budget that will push Qualicum Beach's contribution to $416,000, an increase of more than $25,000 from last year.
Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer sits on the board as Qualicum Beach's rep. He told council Monday night he voted against the request for the increase.
"In this day and age to propose that kind of budget increase?" said Luchtmeijer. "I have a hard time swallowing that."
Luchtmeijer said he wasn't satisfied with the answers he received when he asked questions about the justifications for the increase.
"The only rationale that was presented to the board was that the library system was chronically underfunded," Luchtmeijer told his fellow Qualicum Beach councillors. "I asked if that meant they were chronically over-ambitious."