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July 1, 2009

Millville library says next chapter requires more cash

By JOEL LANDAU • Staff Writer • July 1, 2009

MILLVILLE -- Mill-ville Public Library is requesting extra money from the city as it tries to provide more services, including increased computer access.

The library's Board of Trustees also has established two committees in preparation for a new building.

The board passed its budget proposal for 2010 at its May meeting. It's asking the city for $684,680, an increase of $33,680, or slightly more than 5 percent, from the previous year.

The spending plan includes a 3 percent increase for staff, higher maintenance costs and a proposed 10 percent increase ($2,750) in utilities. The library doubled its number of computers from eight to 16, and usage is up 400 percent over last year, according to Library Director Irene Percelli.

The board usually asks for a 1 or 2 percent increase, but felt the larger request is necessary to continue the library's current programs, Percelli said.

"We want to close the gap on what we get from the city and what we really need," she said. "We keep losing ground every year; we can't keep doing that. We have to close the gap."

The total proposed budget is $731,405. The board projects $27,225 from the state and $19,500 from fees, fines and video rentals.

The library board also has established a fundraising committee and a second committee for planning a new building.

It's working with the firm Library Development Solutions in Princeton to develop a feasibility study for a new building. The board is in the process of reviewing the draft and will finalize it at a future meeting, Percelli said.

"If we are lucky enough to get a new building, it will come from a variety of sources," she said.

Vice Mayor Joe Derella, the city's director of revenue and finance, said officials are receiving budget proposals from all departments and will make their decisions in the next few months.

Derella said he hasn't reviewed the library's proposal, but said the city will work on a budget that maintains the municipal tax rate and is in the best interests of the city's residents.

Posted by tumulty at July 1, 2009 6:31 PM

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