Borough mulls library plan - Jamesburg

[Cranbury Press]

Borough mulls library plan
Referend would end library funding
Thursday, July 10, 2008 4:52 PM EDT
By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer



JAMESBURG — The Borough Council is again seeking to cut funding to the Jamesburg Public Library.

On Wednesday, it introduced an ordinance to place a referendum on the November ballot that if approved would cut municipal funding from the library. If the referendum is approved, the library would have to seek funding elsewhere, or close.

In addition, borough officials said Wednesday that if the library closes, Jamesburg would enter into an interlocal agreement with Monroe to allow Jamesburg residents to use the Monroe Township Public Library.

The price per Monroe library cardholder works out to approximately $105 a year, said Irene Goldberg, director of the Monroe Township Public Library. Borough officials have negotiated in the agreement that their municipality would pay the same rate.

In Jamesburg, the price per library cardholder works out to $123.7, with a 2008 budget of $185,614 and an estimated 1,500 borough library cardholders, said Cindy Yasher, Jamesburg’s public library director.
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But with the library’s current number of users and Monroe’s current rate per cardholder, borough officials are calculating nearly a $30,000 savings next year.

Mayor Anthony LaMantia said this service agreement could be the answer to the borough’s budget problems.

”If you’re going to get better service and more up-to-date technology at a lesser cost, no one should go against it,” said Mayor LaMantia, who has been working with Monroe officials on the agreement for a little more than a year.

Under the interlocal agreement, Monroe would bill the borough on a quarterly basis, a fee that is subject to an increase only if the township’s rates increase, said Wayne Hamilton, Monroe Township administrator.

Approximately 1,000 Jamesburg residents access the township’s library on a limited basis already, according to their records, Ms. Goldberg said.

If the interlocal agreement is approved, Jamesburg residents would have access to some of Monroe’s programs, which include the children’s programs and online reference databases as well as a weekly bookmobile that would make its way to the borough at a to-be-determined location, Ms. Goldberg said.

”As in any case for an interlocal agreement, it has to be win-win for both parties,” Mr. Hamilton said. “In our case, obviously the added source of income coming in would assist us.”

Last year a similar referendum was on its way to the voters, but council members changed their minds and voted against it, with the exception of Councilman Brian Grimes, who remains a supporter of the ordinance.

”We can’t rely on the state to help us on these problems,” Mr. Grimes said. “We’re living in very different times and the state is cutting aid to municipalities.”

Mayor LaMantia and Mr. Grimes said a number of council members changed their vote at the urging of Gov. Jon Corzine’s advisers, who promised borough officials the administration would work to change the current library funding formula.

”Everyone likes to believe in fairytales,” Mr. Grimes said. “At that time it was Gov. Corzine who was the knight in shining armor. The state has promised us everything and done nothing.”

The state’s current funding formula mandates that one-third of a mil, or one-third of one-tenth of total equalized assessed valuation should be given to the library.

Borough officials said that while the library’s expenses are calculated with a formula that has a cap of 15 percent, the municipal tax levy cannot increase by more than 4 percent.

The Jamesburg Library’s Board of Trustees, along with its employees, found out about the resolution only a few days ago and said it is counterproductive to the borough’s walking community plan.

Not only is the library a hub for senior citizens and a safe haven for local children after school, but a good portion of the patrons walk to the facility, said Carol Hetzell, library board president.
”We’re really not all that surprised,” she said Tuesday, shortly after hearing the news. “We want to keep the library open. It is the only entity in town that is for every person.”

Although the Monroe Library is located a little over a mile and a half from the Jamesburg Library, on Perrineville Road near the Monroe Township Town Hall, Ms. Hetzel said that with no sidewalk, borough patrons could have a difficult time making their way to the neighboring facility through Thompson Park.

”There’s no way to walk to the (Monroe) library,” she said. “There’s no way for anyone to walk safely on Perrineville Road. That’s a huge, huge factor.”

The fact that Monroe residents frequent Jamesburg’s library speaks volumes about the small-town feel, good service and attention patrons receive from staff, Ms. Hetzell said.

”It can only be closed by the will of the people,” she said. “When people showed their support last year it should have been enough. I suspect we will again launch a campaign as we did last year.”

As for the building that houses the Jamesburg Library, it is owned by the Jamesburg Volunteer Fire Department, according to Mayor LaMantia.

Borough officials plan to have a public hearing and second reading of the ordinance at 7 p.m. during the Aug. 13 council meeting.

”We’re giving the option to Jamesburg residents to do what’s best,” Mayor LaMantia said. “If we keep going the way we’re going, taxes will have to increase to keep the library open. We’re trying to save tax dollars here.”

http://www.packetonline.com/articles/2008/07/11/cranbury_press/news/doc487674a3b9efe393648918.txt

[Guest]

<quote> The price per Monroe library cardholder works out to approximately $105 a year, said Irene Goldberg, director of the Monroe Township Public Library. Borough officials have negotiated in the agreement that their municipality would pay the same rate.

In Jamesburg, the price per library cardholder works out to $123.7, with a 2008 budget of $185,614 and an estimated 1,500 borough library cardholders, said Cindy Yasher, Jamesburg’s public library director. <quote>

Interesting - I wonder how much the Cranbury Library price per cardholder is!?! Maybe we can work a deal with Plainsboro, since they will have a big and beautiful state of the art NEW Library.

[Guest]

[James]

There is no need to work a deal with Plainsboro. We are in the same county and we have priveleges at all non-school libraries in the county.

[Cranbury Conservative]

Here are the numbers:


In 2005 the taxpayers of Cranbury gave the library: $365,334
The 2005 US Census Estimate for Cranbury is: 3918 people

That works out to $94 per person in Cranbury in 2005.


This year the tax payers of Cranbury are giving the Library about $600,000
The U.S Census Estimate for Cranbury is: 3944 people

That works out to $152.00 per person.

[Guest]

[Cranbury Conservative]

The Cranbury library budget has doubled in 3 years.

Has the Cranbury Police budget doubled in that time? Or the Cranbury School Budget?

And now the Cranbury Library is running a surplus.

[question]

Since Cranbury residents don't vote for these budget items, the spending is delermined by the TC?

[Cranbury Conservative]

Library funding is state mandated. Currently the state requires local taxpayers to fund libraries at $33 for every $100,000 of taxable property.

New Legislation (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/A1500/1265_R1.HTM)was passed earlier this year which allows towns that have an over funded library to ask the library to return any surpluss to the town.

[question]

[Cranbury Conservative]

I believe a request would be made to the board of trustees of the Library. My guess is the TC would make the request.

Then I think the State Librarian has to approve it.

I am really not too worried right now with this. COAH / Affordable Housing is a bigger issue for me. Once that is settled I feel we can focus on these other issues.

Though the money could help off set COAH / Affordable Housing litigation without raising property taxes.

[Guest]

The library surplus is least of our worries. If the push is for a new library, I can't understand why the Library Board of Trustees can't present a plan to the community that includes possible financing that does not sock it to the taxpayer. They seem to want to pass the buck to our TC to handle. This should not be on the TC agenda. The Library Board of Trustees needs to get their act together. This right now is a "want" and not a "need".

[James]

I agree with CC. I think this is a distraction right now as opposed to a key issue.

What I do believe is that the Town overall needs to be more transparent in terms of finances. We need to act as though the town is a public company and the residents are all stock holders. We need transparency in terms of what money is spent and where it goes. That means the library, engineer, attorneys, etc...

However, right now I'd rather not argue about what finances the library has or doesn't have and focus on COAH. After the COAH situation is less cloudy and we have our course of action then I'd come back and start looking at the library finances. I'd look at the other contracts as they renew each year.

What does upset me is the distraction a building is causing at a time when people really need to be careful about expenses and focused on COAH.

[Frugality In Cranbury]

Folks . . . Where is the plan ... plan ... plan. The library is not and should not be left out of our township's master plan. You can't just go and say "Hm.... that looks like a nice place to have a library. Let's buy it." There are many unanswered question such as funding, feasibility, building specs, etc. Many of these question should be answered by the Library of Trustees and the TC in tandem. Unfortunately, the TC has been asked to fund and plan the whole project. This is absolutely unheard of in this day and age - the library is pushing the burden on them and the taxpayer without being fiscally responsible themselves. Not only that, the township does CURRENTLY own land near the school. Why must we try to purchase land (1.4 mil) that is private property and is NOT in the Master Plan for our town?

This is so reminiscent of the "Babe Ruth Baseball Field". Push thru without thoroughly planning. Another "Oops". That is why we are NOW dealing with and paying for the clean-up remediation on this small section of land. When we could've had a final planned usage for the entire property and developed that land in stages. Why are we jumping the gun all the time. It is always costing us much more this way rather than in a concrete plan.

The TC needs to get a backbone to all the "special interest groups" and "JUST SAY NO - It is not in the overall township Master Plan".

[ED K]

[Cranbury Conservative]

I actually find it hard to compare town vs town due to different maintenance costs for different facilities and staff sizes. The most telling point to the numbers is the budget / what we the tax payers are giving to the library has doubled. Of course it is all due to an outdated State mandated funding model for which there are options now with the new refund legislation.