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August 21, 2008
Library keeps its freedom, for now
Lambertville council nixes November ballot question
Thursday, August 21, 2008
BY CURT YESKE
Special to the Times of Trenton
LAMBERTVILLE -- The city's free public library will retain its in dependence for at least another year.
The city council decided this week not to place a question on the November ballot that could strip the library of the independent status it has had for 82 years.
Last year, supporters of the library waged a hard-fought campaign and defeated a ballot question aimed at removing its inde pendence and making it part of the city administration.
At issue is the tax revenue used to support the library. By state law, the city must pay the library a sum equal to one third of a mill of assessable property in the community each year. In 2007, that amounted to slightly more than $243,000.
Mayor David DelVecchio contends that mandatory funding will jeopardize the city's finances be cause a state law limits tax increases to 4 percent.
Although nothing was said publicly, discussions have been going on behind closed doors that could result in the library board agreeing to allocate part of its surplus to the city. Such transfers, although complicated, are legal through a new state law passed last spring.
The library, after decades of having relatively meager revenues from taxes, has seen its income grow as property values in the city have soared in the past several years. It has a surplus of at least $170,000.
At one point in the meeting, a small but vocal contingent in support of the library started to get into a heated argument with Councilwoman Cindy Ege, a harsh critic of the library, before DelVecchio restored order.
"The voters have (already) spoken," said Abraham Leibson in calling for the council to vote against the ballot question.
Councilman Ward Sanders, who was not on the council last year, wanted to postpone a ballot question for a year, which would allow the dust to settle from the argu ments, provide time to review some of the criticism aimed at the library, and resolve the question of the future of state aid to the city.
Sanders said his family has had satisfactory experiences at the library and that he liked the "small- town feeling about it." He said he has been speaking with townspeople and library supporters in an attempt to assess the situation and he questioned whether changing the library's status would affect the amount of taxes paid by city residents.
Councilman Ron Pittore called for a compromise rather than the ballot question.
DelVecchio responded to an audience member who asked how many times the issue was going to be on the ballot by saying he was prepared to cope with the voters' decision last year, but since then state budget proposals have raised the issue of eliminating aid to small towns. This forced the city to start revamping its budget structure, he said, which included taking another look at the library's tax- based funding.
At a public hearing on the budget last week, the mayor spent about a half hour reviewing cost- saving efforts the city was making on its own as well as making service-sharing agreements with other municipalities.
A second question, on whether to extend the city's Open Space Tax, was approved unanimously and is headed for the November ballot.
The tax of two cents per $100 of assessed value of a property is scheduled to expire in 2010. DelVecchio said the funds would be used to acquire about seven acres of land on Music Mountain that otherwise could potentially be developed for housing.
DelVecchio has said if the acqui sitions were completed, the entire steep hillside and the ridge line in an area from Buttonwood Street to York Street would remain as woodlands.
The tax was previously used to acquire other tracts in the same area, including those behind the elementary school and the recreation complex, both on North Main Street.
Posted by tumulty at August 21, 2008 10:07 AM
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