Having received many office visits, calls and emails and having been approached in stores and even at church, the Town wants to share the following in helping the voters to make their decisions:
The Town Council is aware that the Director of the Massena Town Public Library and some trustees want to become a School District Library and no longer want the Town of Massena to provide funding or make trustee appointments.
The Massena Town Public Library, as stated in written library history, was chartered in 1902 and established a primary place of business at 60 Main Street (the Town Hall) in 1904. The library was given to the Town in 1934 after acting on a petition by their Library Board. In 1962, the library was transferred to the location on Glen Street (the premises originally of Hattie A. Anderson with reference to the estate of Julia O. Hyde in 1916). The building was given to the Town in September 1962 and dedicated to Henry H. Warren. The cost then was estimated $425,000 for 17,000 square feet. In 1975 the Town provided $99,180 from real property taxes to support the library. In 2023, the Town provided $514,471 to the library.
For general information, the Town of Massena has provided funding in the amount of $14,152,798 since 2001, certainly the largest amount of funding provided for a public library in all of St. Lawrence County. Over many years, the Town of Massena has willfully provided for, including custodial maintenance inside and outside, contracts for services including equipment such as boilers, humidifiers, air control handlers (as well as their annual inspections and respective quarterly and annual maintenance contracts for roof, library resource center, library lift, internet service, security, utilities, supplies, books, periodicals, computers, general purchasing, advertising, payroll duties including state and federal taxes, with corresponding quarterly reports, health insurance coverage, NYS Retirement, union negotiations (Teamsters), auditing and annual filing with tax cap and tax ID.

The Town has allowed the directors and trustees to hire their employees, following the town, county, and state guidelines.
Currently, businesses and homeowners within the town pay town and county taxes early in the year as well as school taxes in the fall of the year. Additionally, those businesses and homeowners residing within the village limits pay village taxes mid-year. If the transition is approved, the school district library tax would be added to their school tax bill as a second line item. It is important to note that any homeowner who has a Star Enhanced Exemption and therefore does not pay any school taxes, or any other organization that has an affiliated tax break, WILL still be required to pay the full school district library tax.
Any business owner or homeowner that resides within the Massena Central School District (Massena, Louisville, Brasher, Norfolk) should vote and decide for themselves what is the better option for them. All need to make sure they know what they are voting for and how it will affect them long term.
Over several decades, The Town of Massena has maintained and supported the library that functions as a library and its many activities provided for our residents. If the voters decide against the school district library ballot, The Town will continue to provide funding and will continue to appoint trustees.
The School District Vote will be held on the same day as the School Budget Vote on May 21 at the Massena Community Center on Beach Street, beginning at 12:00pm/noon and ending at 8:00pm.

Sue Bellor
Massena Town Supervisor