Editor, The Spotlight
I am not going to get into how much per $1000.00 of assessed valuation the vote could cost or presume to tell you that you shouldn’t mind a small increase.
The various scenarios on cost are already out there and how you choose to spend your money is your business.
What I would like to do is answer a few questions/comments that I have heard. `Is a yes vote going to cost me money?`
The answer is probably. The Library Proposition before the citizens of Malta on Nov 8th proposes to establish a dollar base that would not change from year to year unless an additional vote was taken. The amount being voted on is $291,000.00. The Women’s Round Lake Improvement Society (WRLIS) is not asking for a tax or asking to establish a tax. WRLIS does not have the authority to do either. If the vote is successful, The Town of Malta could continue to fund the Library as it is not doing or raise part or all through a library tax.
`Why did that group of women from Round Lake build a library in Malta?`
The group of women is the WRLIS, founded in 1896 and has maintained a library in Round Lake since 1897.
WRLIS did not build the Malta Branch of the Round Lake Library. The Town Board, when expanding the Community Center, surveyed the citizens of Malta as to what they would like to see in the addition. The top two choices were a gym and a library. The town worked with WRLIS, who holds the NYS charter forth Town of Malta. The Round Lake Library applied for, received and passed on to Malta a $100,000.00 grant from NYS to help defray the building cost. WRLIS (WRLIS now includes men. The name has not been changed, I am a member). holds the charter to supply library service to The Town of Malta and after the WRLIS created a contact whereby WRLIS would ultimately administer and be responsible for the management and staffing of the Malta Branch. The town would be financially responsible, the amount to be negotiated in a yearly budget submitted by WRLIS. The amount for 2011 was $283,000, but $275,000 was the final funding format he Town. The Village of Round Lake contributed $8000.00 derived from taxes for the general fund and amounted to $.14/$1000.00 assessed valuations. WRLIS contributes $20,000 derived from the annual Antiques Festival and the annual Craft Fair and other fundraising events. The proposed library budgeteer 2012 submitted by WRLIS to the Town of Malta was the same as in 2011. In early discussions, the funding has been cut by the Town by $60,000. The budget, we hope, is still under discussion.
Paul Sausville’s `2011 Resident Survey` Item #44 `How should the library finances be funded`, choice A `Increased User Fees` The Round Lake Library can not charge user fees; no library in New York State can charge user fees. I call Paul when I received the survey card and reminded him that the library could not charge for its services. Paul told me that someone had called earlier and informed him of that fact. I asked Paul if he intended to clear up the confusion in a future mailing. He said no, but if a significant number of Malta residents felt that it was a good idea, he would request our state representatives to submit a legislation to change the law. At some point in the future, if the law is changed, charging for service may be a possibility. It is not echoic now
Bill Ryan
Trustee, Round Lake Library
