NorthEast-Millerton Library seeks budget hike

MILLERTON — The NorthEast-Millerton Library is asking voters to approve a budget increase in this November’s election.

It has been 17 years since the library last asked the voting public to approve a budget increase. “Inflation is real and prevalent in our lives still, and that, of course, affects us,” Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said. According to the library’s website, “In the last several years, it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with the costs and continue to offer standard and new services to the community.”

Currently, the library funds its services through a combination of tax revenue, donations and grants. Many donations are earmarked for specific projects, like the museum pass program, and grants cannot be used for operating expenses, Leo-Jameson said. To keep up with increased material and labor costs, the library planst to request an increase in tax revenue from the community.

The board of elections has received the necessary signatures from community members for the revenue increase vote to move forward. Next, the library will meet with the town’s supervisor to hammer out the details of the budget increase.

How much the library will receive will depend on what is approved for and can vary based on different assessments. The revenue it does receive will support salaries, cover the cost of printed and digital materials in the library, pay for maintenance and other operating expenses, according to the library website.

A tax revenue increase will not result in a new charge on residents, but it will increase the existing library tax slightly. The exact amount that residents’ taxes will increase depends on the value of their homes. “For every $100,000 that your house is valued we will have it broken down,” Leo-Jameson said. Residents can find that breakdown on the library’s website once the proposal is ready.

The library has once again requested a federal SAM grant of $125,000, which would be used to restore the Annex. The library has been requesting the grant since 2020 but has been struggling to get accurate estimates of how much the renovations would cost.

“We have cut expenses and found more efficient ways to operate, but that can only go so far,” according to the NorthEast-Millerton Library’s website. “The only options left to us is for the library to start cutting services, whether that is shortening hours, purchasing less materials, and cutting programs. We will be looking at all available options.”

For information, go to www.nemillertonlibrary.org/414-vote