Library Budget Vote
and Trustee Election:

Wed., June 11, 2008
from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Library

Voting will take place at the library, 24 Chestnut Street and Route 59 in Spring Valley. Every citizen 18 years or older residing within the East Ramapo Central School District for at least 30 days prior to voting, who is legally registered, is eligible to vote.

Public Hearing for the Budget:

Wed., May 28, 8 p.m. in the library meeting room.

Voter Registration

Anyone who is already registered for general elections in November is eligible to vote in library elections. You must vote at least once every four years in a general election to keep your registration valid. Every citizen 18 years or older residing within the East Ramapo Central School District for at least 30 days prior to voting, who is legally registered, is eligible to vote.

Registration for the library budget vote for those residents of the East Ramapo Central School District who have not previously voted will be held on Wed., June 4, 4 to 8 p.m. in the library. For more information, call the library clerk at 352-5700, ext. 256.

From The Library Director

The Board of Trustees of Finkelstein Memorial Library have approved a budget for fiscal year 2008 – 2009 that will make for a total tax levy of $6,319,520. This is a 3.9 percent tax increase over the previous year’s budget. I am providing a basic narrative on just what that increase entails, and what these various increases in the budget will mean in terms of services. For your  reference, 1 percent of the total budget equals $66,188.

Salary and Fringe Benefits
The 2008 – 2009 overall budget increases are principally linked to the 4 percent across-the-board salary increase (as spelled out in the negotiated union contract), which, along with some adjustments and added hours, and the reduction of one full-time librarian position, raised the salary line by $94,922 (or 2.47%). Combining this with the annual increase in benefit costs — this year up by $59,190 — raised the personnel and benefits cost totals to $154,112 and accounted for the lion’s share of the proposed $255,462 overall increase. This includes assumptions of 20 percent increases in health insurance and Medicare, as well as a 10 percent increase in dental insurance costs. The board has decided to make one of the current part-time security positions a full-time one, at an additional cost of $17,000. This position is essential as we work towards improvements of the library’s security situation. There is really no “down time” for our security any more, and the board has determined that safety requires at least two security staffers be on duty from 12:30 until 4 PM and on Fridays at closing at 6 PM. We have also worked out, for the first time since expanding services in the the tech center, a realistic assessment of what it costs to run the center all the hours we are open. We determined that we need a full 93 hours of part-time clerical help per week to run the center Monday through Saturday, a total of over 4,800 hours at a cost of $67,700. Another $18,000 or so is necessary for Sunday and holiday operation.

Library Materials
We are asking for an increase of $19,950 (3%) for library materials. Increased individual materials lines include $30,000 in new electronic databases and subscriptions to online periodicals. This increase is cancelled out, as it were, by cuts totaling $30,000 in the periodicals, services and annuals, and microfilm lines. Online resources are more widely used and largely eliminate our need for these other items. The ever-increasing circulation of DVDs over video cassettes is reflected in our increase of over $10,000 for DVD purchases and the elimination of the video cassette line. A 2.2 percent increase in the book line reflects increased costs in both printing and delivery. We also propose doubling the budget for museum passes from $1,500 to $3,000, money which has been reimbursed to us by the Friends for the past several years.

Operating Expenses
Total library operating expenses for the coming budget total $946,300 which is an increase of $81,400 over the previous year.

Computers
The proposed computer equipment line totals $32,650, an increase of $19,650 over the previous year. This total includes the following:
 
• Replacement of eight word  processing stations in adult services, along with the acquisition of a laptop for the department at a total cost of $9,500.

• Acquisition of a laptop for the new superintendent of buildings at a cost of $1,500.

• Acquisition of a computer for the use of the AV staff, as there is currently no ANSER access in the AV office, at a cost of $2,000 plus ANSER-related costs.

• Acquisition of three replacement computers in the children’s department at $4,500.

• $8,000 is budgeted for the unforeseen replacement of computers that crash beyond repair.

Utilities
We are adding $38,500 (a 26.28 percent increase) to the utilities line based on the ever-increasing costs of all forms of energy.

Respectfully submitted,
Bob Devino, Director

Highlights of 2007 & 2008