BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg City Councilor Steve Fisher has apologized for a Facebook post that insulted Ogdensburg Public Library Director Penny Kerfien.

Kerfien said she was shocked by the social media screenshot of a message that referred to her as “being bitchy,” and was posted on the Friends of the Ogdensburg Library Facebook Page on a post that called on the public to vote on an upcoming referendum.

Fisher confirmed that he made the post, but he says it was never intended to be public and was part of a private conversation. And while he deleted it within minutes of the upload, a screenshot was widely shared over social media over the weekend.

Kerfien said the message caught her off-guard.

“I was shocked. Mr. Fisher and I have always had polite conversations with one another,” she said.

Kerfien said in general she has a good working relationship with the council and is hopeful it will continue despite the incident.

Fisher said he reached out to Kerfien Monday to offer an apology.

“It was an accident. I called Penny and apologized and she accepted it,” he said.

Kerfien said she’s looking to move past the incident and focus on a vote, which could decide the library's future. She has been keeping services going at the library despite the ongoing pandemic and continued cuts to the budget. The library has continued to offer computer access, curbside pickup and crafts for kids over the past year despite the many difficulties presented.

But as the city plans to end all funding of the public library in the upcoming budget, Kerfien will be working to get support from taxpayers.

The library wants to collect $350,000 in taxes from the public in a referendum attached to the school budget, with a vote set for May 18. She said the money is not directly tied to the school budget, and will be voted up or down separately.

“Due to proposed budget cuts in 2022 from the City of Ogdensburg -- the Ogdensburg Public Library is reaching out to school district residents to request funding – please note this is NOT part of the Ogdensburg School District Budget,” a release from the Friends of The Ogdensburg Public Library said.

“The City of Ogdensburg, the Mayor and City Council members have been generous to the Ogdensburg Public Library over the years but they have decided that they can no longer support the library financially – we are hopeful they will continue their moral support moving forward.”

The Ogdensburg Public Library Referendum will cost the taxpayers -- $58.05 per year for a home assessed at $65,000 (based on average value) in Ogdensburg; $58.05 per year for a home assessed at $65,000 (based on average value) in Oswegatchie and $75.39 per year for a home assessed at $65,000 (based on average value) in Lisbon.