BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Former Massena Library Director Elaine Dunne has called on the Massena town board to endorse the library's attempt to transition to a school district library.

Dunne, who retired in 2023 after more than 20 years with the library, is now a member of the Friends of Massena Library organization.

"I think it would be nice and I think it would be good for the town of Massena if our town council would endorse the transition process for the library. It's a process that will save town of Massena taxpayers money and it's something that is good for libraries across the state of New York. I think it would be wonderful if our town council would endorse this process for our taxpayers," Dunne told board members.

Town Supervisor Sue Bellor shot down the idea, saying the town board would only help to educate and inform the public about the prospective change.

"One thing we have to do is educate and inform and that's really the extent of it. But we'll try to get all the information we can. That would be what we're responsible for though," Bellor said.

Library officials are hoping taxpayers in the Massena Central School District will approve the transition May 21 when they head to the polls to also vote on the school budget.

This is the second attempt in four years that library officials have attempted the transition after a failed attempt in 2020.

Voters in the towns of Brasher and Norfolk were resistant to the previous attempt and shot it down by a vote of 1,640 to 892.

Town of Massena officials approved the $504,133 budget for the current fiscal year, however library officials say services and employees have been slowly cut in recent years due to budget decreases. If the library were successful in transitioning, more services can be offered, more employees can be added, part-time employees can once again receive benefits with increased hours of employment and library hours could be extended, officials say.

The possibility of the library transitioning to a school district library would also come with a budget increase from $504,133 to $679,990, if approved.

If the vote were successful, residents that live within the Massena Central School District would all be responsible for paying for the library's expenses through school taxes.

When asked what would happen to the funds allocated by the town if the transition were successful, Bellor said those funds would come out of the budget but taxpayers would ultimately be responsible for paying for the library.

Along with Massena, the district also encompasses parts of Brasher, Louisville and Norfolk.

For residents in Louisville who have a home assessed at $100,000, the tax to be assessed for the library will rise from $6 to $106 per year. In Brasher, residents with homes valued at $100,000 would go from paying nothing to $81 per year. In Norfolk, residents in the district with homes valued at $100,000 will go from paying nothing to $100 per year.

Library officials say a FAQ section on the library website that should address any question residents may have.

For more information, visit massenapubliclibrary.org.