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Opinion: Letter about Potsdam Library budget contained factual errors, says library director

Posted 6/21/22

To the Editor: A recent opinion piece published in North Country This Week [ June 10 titled With 178% budget increase in 17 years, Potsdam Library not providing adequate info to voters] concerning …

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Opinion: Letter about Potsdam Library budget contained factual errors, says library director

Posted

To the Editor:

A recent opinion piece published in North Country This Week [June 10 titled With 178% budget increase in 17 years, Potsdam Library not providing adequate info to voters] concerning the library's budget vote contained numerous factual errors, and some very dubious math.

The taxpayers of the Potsdam Central School District approved the formation of an independent tax district to fund the library with an initial appropriation of $465,000 in June, 2006. For the next 8 years, no funding changes were proposed. In 2014, the voters approved an increase of $40,000, bringing the total budget up to $505,000. From 2015 through 2019, the voters approved increases in line with the New York State Tax Cap, roughly corresponding to the rate of inflation. In 2020 and 2021, no funding changes were proposed. This year, the library proposed an increase, again in line with the tax cap.

Between 2006 and 2022 the rate of inflation in NY averaged about 2%. Costs are 38.02% higher in 2022 than in 2006. To keep up with inflation and still maintain library services, without adding or improving, our budget should have increased by $176,000 in that time. We have not kept up, though, and our current budget, approved by voters in 2022, is $594,769. We're behind by about $47,000.

2006 - $465,000 (first independent budget)

2007 - 2013 - no increase was proposed

2014 - $505,000 ($40,000 increase)

2015 - $519,000 ($14,000 increase)

2016 - $527,000 ($8,000 increase)

2017 - $539,700 ($12,700 increase)

2018 - $557,430 ($17,730 increase)

2019 - $574,094 ($16,664 increase)

2020 - no increase was proposed

2021 - no increase was proposed

2022 - $594,769 ($20,675)

The library has posted its budget on its website, in draft and in final form, along with an overview summarizing changes. We include all documents that are discussed at board meetings in advance so the public can review them. Of course, the budget includes revenues and expenses. These are presented in the form of a spreadsheet with two tabs. It seems that the author was unfamiliar with navigating spreadsheet tabs. We have printed copies available at the library for anyone who has difficulty with the technology. We also held a hearing to respond to any questions. (The library was closed due to staff illness on the date of our hearing, but we went ahead and had the hearing at the originally scheduled time.)

The library does also pursue other funding, for example, the NYS Construction in Libraries grants which have allowed us to renovate the library, and we fund most of our programming with smaller grants.

Math tutoring is also available through our Adult Literacy program.

We are grateful that the Potsdam community values and supports the library. Thanks to all who voted!

Annie Davey, Director, and
Trustees of the Board of the Potsdam Public Library