Library presents its case to voters for increased funding

PINE PLAINS —  On Nov. 7, Pine Plains voters will have their first opportunity to directly have a voice in the amount of money town taxpayers contribute to the library budget. 

The ballot initiative follows a successful petition drive by the library’s board of trustees. Members of the board and library director Alexis Tackett explained their reason for the initiative to the public in an information session on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the library’s Community Room.

Currently, the Pine Plains Town Board determines how much the library gets from the town. The balance of the library’s budget comes from grants, fundraising efforts and its emergency reserves. If the measure succeeds, Pine Plains will join 26 of Dutchess County’s 28 libraries in having voters determine their local government’s financial contribution to their library. 

The question on the ballot asks for a yes or no to allocating $166,900 annually for the library, beginning next year. Any change in the future allocation would have to be put before the voters.

Taxpayers currently pay $20.19 per year per $100,000 of assessed property value to fund the library. The amount requested on the ballot would mean an increase to $31.54 annually per $100,000.

The measure’s supporters say that while their request represents a significant increase from the town’s current contribution of $99,500, the higher amount is more in keeping with contributions to other local libraries of comparable size and usage. More funding would also allow the library to expand its hours, materials and program offerings.  

Library usage has increased 144% since 2013, while funding from the town has only increased 28%, which is less than the rate of inflation, according to Tackett, who is a member of the board of The New Pine Plains Herald. The library has been unable to meet repeated community requests, Tackett said, such as an increase in days and hours. With a bigger budget, the library could re-open on Monday, Tackett added. It has been closed that day for lack of funds since last December. 

The library writes grants and does fundraising, which it will continue to do as part of its budget process, said Tackett. This year, it has also been forced to use $30,000 from its emergency reserve fund to meet operating expenses. At that rate, the fund will be depleted in two years. Tackett said there will be no budget for emergencies, such as getting a new printer when the current one breaks—a commercial printer is about $7,000—or for modifying the building in ways that better serve patrons. 

Besides operational costs, which include insurance and paying for one full-time staff member and three part-timers, the library’s other major expenses are programs and materials. In addition to books, DVDs and games on the shelves, the library offers special programs, particularly for seniors and young people. These include yoga and tai chi classes, monthly book clubs and a weekly visit from the town’s summer day-campers, who walk to the library to choose books, be read to and participate in programs.

Ethan DiMaria, a library board member, said there has been an increase in patrons with children coming to the library, and that when he recently dropped by on a Wednesday afternoon, the computers and printers were all being used by patrons, a table was occupied by teens, and a family with children was in the children’s area. “It’s become more of a community center,” DiMaria said.

The library’s digital offerings, which have become more popular since the pandemic and which are costly to purchase, have increased. Patrons can take out a movie or an audio book, and they have access to newspapers and journals, some of them online, through the library’s membership in the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS). While the cost of that membership increases annually, it extends the library’s offerings far beyond the books on the shelves.

“The walls get permeable,” said board president Claire Gunning, who also volunteers for the Herald. “We have access to more than our collection.” For instance, if a book is anywhere in MHLS, it can be requested and obtained for a Pine Plains patron in a short time, saving that person the cost of gas or of buying the book.

Board member Keary Hanan said: “The board is conservative about spending. We’re trying to meet what the patrons ask for and want.” Tackett agreed: “We’re a program-centric library.”

A video of the Sept. 16 information session is available on the library’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

This article is courtesy of The New Pine Plains Herald.