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February 15, 2009

Cape May Point may borrow plan from Avalon, leave library system

By RICHARD DEGENER Staff Writer, 609-463-6711

Published: Saturday, February 14, 2009

CAPE MAY POINT - The borough is investigating leaving the Cape May County library system as a way to save taxpayer money.

Deputy Mayor Anita van Heeswyk has been looking into it but said she is doing so with no agenda and at this point is simply fact-finding. Van Heeswyk said she wants to explore ways to reduce the property tax bill, something residents pushed her to do when she ran for office.

"I received so many wonderful letters, pro and con," van Heeswyk told residents at a meeting Thursday night.

The pro is that each household would save more than $200 in county library taxes. Residents could still pay $90 for a nonresident library card and use the county facilities, including the one in Cape May to which many residents here go.

The con is that some residents want to support the library system regardless of costs. Several letters from residents opposed to leaving the county system were read into the record Thursday night.
Marie Rice, wife of former commissioner Keith Rice, said if everybody in the system dropped out and bought $90 nonresident cards "there would be no libraries."

"In Cape May Point, I think we can afford that tax," Rice wrote.

Reached Friday, Cape May County Library Director Deb Poillon said the nonresident fee may rise if the borough dropped out. Avalon already has dropped out and Ocean City maintains its own library system.

"If other towns pull out, we'll re-examine that $90 charge. We may go up to what they would pay in library tax. We want people to stay in the system," Poillon said.

The library tax rate for Cape May County this year is $29 for each $100,000 of assessed value. Poillon argues this is a great deal. Residents can go to branches in nearby Cape May or Lower Township as well as use the bookmobile that visits the borough.

Poillon said the tax is equal to buying a couple of books and renting a DVD each month. For this fee, the library has books and DVDs, and offers newspapers, magazines, computers and other media.

"You can quickly make that (tax) up," Poillon said.

Even if the borough stays in the system for now, Van Heeswyk said it is good information to have. The borough could get hit hard with future taxes, such as to pay for beach replenishment or schools, and would know one way to provide some relief.

"If we get clobbered somewhere else, it's something we can look at in the future," Van Heeswyk said.

Poillon said Avalon left the county system but residents now pay a higher tax for the service. She said it comes to $33 for each $100 of assessed value compared with the $29 Cape May County is charging in 2009.

E-mail Richard Degener:

RDegener@pressofac.com

Posted by tumulty at February 15, 2009 10:12 PM

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