Borough OKs library vote

[Cranbury Press]

Borough OKs library vote

By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer

Posted: Thursday, August 14, 2008 5:40 PM EDT

JAMESBURG — Municipal support of the borough’s public library is now in voters’ hands.

The Borough Council unanimously approved an ordinance Wednesday placing a question on the Nov. 4 general election ballot that, if approved by voters, would end the requirement that the borough fund the library.

If approved, the council says it will enter into an interlocal agreement with Monroe allowing Jamesburg residents to use the township library on Perrineville Road.

About 20 library supporters attended meeting to protest the referendum, saying that maintaining a library in the borough was important.

Borough officials say ending municipal support for the library and contracting with Monroe will save about $30,000 a year. The referendum is necessary because the public library was created by referendum in the 1960s.

The Jamesburg library will receive $185, 614 from the borough as part of the 2008 municipal budget. That works out to $123 for each of the approximately 1,500 cardholders it has on record, according to library representatives.
Under the proposed interlocal agreement, the borough would pay $105 per cardholder, about what it costs Monroe per cardholder. The per-cardholder fee would increase for the borough cardholders only if per-cardholder costs increase in Monroe, Jamesburg officials said.

”We’re giving residents an option,” said Mayor Anthony LaMantia. “It’s full service with Monroe meaning there will be more resources available and more programs for residents.”

Mayor LaMantia said that if the Borough Council can find a way to save money, it is the municipality’s responsibility to give voters that option.
While the crowd and council disagreed on the library referendum, they did seem to agree on at least one thing: State legislators had let them down. Audience and council members said legislators did not follow through on their promise to change the state’s library funding formula, which requires towns to provide their libraries with one-third of a mil in funding, or one-third of one-tenth of total equalized assessed valuation. Funding increases are capped at 15 percent.

The council considered a placing a question on the 2007 ballot but council members killed the proposal to give state officials a chance to change rules governing how municipal libraries are funded.

”Everybody on this board has talked to legislators,” Mayor LaMantia said. “The legislators won’t work with us. They don’t want to help the small communities because that’s not where they get their support.”

Still some residents made their plea to keep the referendum off the ballot.

”I think the library serves not only as an education facility but a social facility,” said 16-year-old Michael Valiant, who talked of meeting with friends at the library and even offered the council a daily portion of his lunch money to help pay for it.

”Being from a small town we don’t have a lot. The library is a valuable asset.”
School board member Linda Newton agreed.

”I think this is a wrong and foolish thing to do,” she said. “I think there should be a way to go through your budget and cut a little bit here and a little bit there.”

Members of the library board of trustees also raised concerns.
”I really feel every one of you have the best interest of Jamesburg at heart,” library board President Carole Hetzell said. “My only response is penny-wise, pound foolish.”

Board member Greg Newton also was critical.

”It’s quite a lot of convenience we have to give up to save one and a quarter pennies a day,” Greg Newton said. “I can’t stomach what you’re doing.”

Mayor LaMantia has been talking with officials from the Middlesex County Department of Parks and Recreation, who have agreed to provide an 8-foot-wide walkway that would run from the Jamesburg Municipal Building on Perrineville Road near Forsgate Drive to Monroe Township High School on Perrineville and Schoolhouse roads. The walkway would be set back from Perrineville Road, a thoroughfare many deem unsafe to walk along.

In addition, Middlesex County Area Transit also has agreed to provide two daily buses that would transport residents from Jamesburg to the Monroe Library at no cost to riders if voters pass the referendum, Mayor LaMantia said.

Officials with the county Parks and Transportation departments could not be reached for comment
Borough officials said they will explore additional transportation options that would run later in the evening.

[Guest]

and our mayor wanted to build a 2nd library in Cranbury and Jamesburg is ending support of the only one and looking into sharing with neighboring town.

[Guest]

After seeing both meetings and reading Pari's comments it is clear that Mr. Stout (our mayor) was not leading this though did support it. The library was Pari's pet project just like the ballfield was hers.

[Guest]