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February 1, 2009

After heated debate, proposed library funding cuts on hold in Garwood

Cranford Chronicle

by By LESLIE MURRAY THE CHRONICLE
Friday January 30, 2009, 1:00 PM
GARWOOD--A group of nearly 30 residents attended the Borough Council meeting on Jan. 27 to object to the council's consideration of a resolution that would ask the state to change the library funding formula. However, after an extensive public comment the council agreed to table the resolution and meet with members of the Library Board of Directors before making a decision on the matter.

The discussion began during the Jan. 13 meeting, when Councilwoman Kathleen Villaggio asked the council to consider passing a resolution from the New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM) endorsing a change to the state's library funding formula.

The library funding formula was set under state statute in 1944 that required municipalities to fund the library each year based on one-third of a million of each dollar of equalized value in the municipality. The NJLM resolution seeks to reduce the annual payment from one-third of a mill on every dollar to one-sixth of a mill on every dollar.

The Garwood Public Library however also doubles as the public school library and is housed within the Lincoln School.

During the Tuesday meeting, Villaggio explained that while the library funding formula has seen little change in 65 years the borough's "rateables ... have increased 10 fold." She added that since 2001, the library's budget had doubled and that the borough would be required to allot $228,000 for the library in 2009, a $15,000 increase from 2008.

"We're not proposing to cut funding to the library, which has served us (well)," Villaggio said. What we're looking at are the increases we are being faced with."

Furthering the comment, she said the council was seeking the ability to consider the library's annual budget prior to an increase being made, which is the procedure in all other municipal departments.

Library Board President Carolyn Warchol said that the resolution, and the suggestion that the library budget could be cut in half, would be devastating for the Garwood Public Library. While the library budget was over $200,000 in 2008, she said the library paid $30,000 to the borough for in kind services.

Countering, Villaggio said those fees covered costs, such as benefits and other "items that we (the borough) pay for."

Warchol continued, saying that the average family pays about $100 in taxes towards the library budget each year. Calling the Garwood library "the best bang for the buck", she said the library is a resource not only for residents but for the children in the school district as well.

"We would ask that you not reduce funding because it's going to have a disastrous effect on the library," Warchol implored.

Replying, Villaggio said the council understood the importance of the library to Garwood.
"If the library (budget) was reduced by 50 percent in my opinion it would not be able to operate. That's not good government," Villaggio explained.

Library Director Carol Lombardo said that while the library budget has doubled since 2001, the amount of technology now available to residents has drastically increased.

"In 2001, we had no computers. We had no DVDs. We had no programming," Lombardo said.
Residents Mike and Effie Hajduk said that they were "appalled" that the council was considering the idea of cutting the library's funding.

"I oppose any change or modification ... that would touch the library," Mike Hajduk said. "I think it's going to decrease the value of our homes by cutting services."

Explaining the council's position, Council President Keith Sluka stressed that while the library was a valuable asset, the funding formula gave the council almost no control over the budget increases.

"I don't want to make (the library) sound like it's poorly managed; it's not. It's about the state mandating a fee upon the municipality that's not based on quality (or) on services, but based on a formula that's been there since 1944," Sluka said.

Sluka went on to comment that the issue could be remedied if the library budget was held to the same limited percentage increase each year as are other borough departments, a suggestion Lombardo said could actually work for the library board.

Offering additional comment, Councilmen Anthony Sytko and Jonathan Linken said that the resolution was about an out-of-date funding formula and not about the borough's library.

"I think one thing we can all agree on is that we at least want to look at the formula because it hasn't been changed in 65 years," Sytko said.

With the resolution officially tabled, borough and library representatives are slated to meet regarding library funding before any further action is considered.

Posted by tumulty at February 1, 2009 7:29 PM

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