Library on the ballot

Libraries have become the heart of many communities, serve to promote the health of the community through a growing number of varied programs and by offering communal space where people come together to work and play. On Nov. 5, three libraries in our region are asking for an increase in funding from voters to enable them to continue with a reliable source of funding — and remain cornerstones of social and intellectual life.

In Millbrook, it has been nine years since the Millbrook Library, which serves the Village of Millbrook and the Town of Washington, sought an increase. The Amenia Free Library is seeking an annual increase from the town to meet a continued demand for more services from those who use the library, not to mention pressure from operating expenses common to all institutions — utilities, salaries and supplies — to name a few. The NorthEast-Millerton Library is seeking a budget increase from taxpayers to secure additional funding that the Town of North East has been providing since 2007.

Chapter 414 refers to a chapter of the laws of 1995 in New York State that was amended to enable citizens of a municipality to decide how much to tax themselves for library services.

In November 2023, voters in Pine Plains approved a funding increase for the Pine Plains Free Library, which at the time was only one of two libraries out of 26 in Dutchess County that didn’t receive voter-directed funding. The ballot measure was approved.

In Millbrook, in what is only the third time in the library’s history that it has sought an increase, voters will be asked to increase funding by $165,000 to $349,000. In Amenia, voters are asked to increase funding by $20,000 to $245,000 annually. The NorthEast-Millerton Library’s request will not cost taxpayers any more money, but will ensure a consistent source of revenue of $175,000 annually.

Libraries perform a critical role in our communities, and they have evolved along with our needs far beyond the role they played in the past century. Often they are the new town meeting place where important issues are discussed in a forum venue. They support digital literacy, civic health, the education of young and old and much, much more.

They are not just places to read books. Every town should have a library. Just as municipal services are funded, libraries deserve community support for what they give to us in return. In Amenia, the average increase on a property assessed at $300,000 would amount to about 40 cents per month. A bargain.