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April 13, 2010

Monmouth board delays library tax levy vote

app.com
By BOB JORDAN • FREEHOLD BUREAU • April 12, 2010

After grilling Monmouth County Library System officials at length on their pitch for a $12.58 million tax levy dedicated to this year's library budget, the freeholders said they weren't satisfied with the spending plan and put off an approval vote.

Officials said it was an unprecedented step, with approval of the library's tax levy not being delayed before. But Freeholder John Curley said library officials had been asked to cut spending by at least 5 percent, and the budget didn't reflect that.
"Times are different. We've had to find unique ways to cut spending and cut services elsewhere. It's a disgrace to come up with a budget that's higher," Curley said during the sometimes-stormy session with library officials Thursday.

The proposed levy is $430,000 higher than the 2009 levy.
Freeholder Amy Mallet said, "the entire library budget exposes a troubling misunderstanding by the commission regarding the difference between discretionary and essential needs."
A seven-member commission oversees the library, which consists of 27 branch and member libraries.

Mallet initiated the budget inquiry several weeks ago when she drew attention to $125,000 line items that she deemed questionable.

A portion of the budgeted amount that Mallet brought scrutiny to was $82,000 for travel expenses. Library Director Ken Sheinbaum said some of that money is used to compensate librarians for automobile mileage when they are asked to travel between libraries.
"They don't walk," Sheinbaum said.

However, Mallet said the budget "includes an increase in every single line item," which she called "out of touch with reality."
The five-member freeholder board, with only Director Lillian Burry opposed, instructed their finance director, Craig Marshall, to meet with library officials to work on a new proposal.
Burry protested, saying the two library officials who appeared before the board — Sheinbaum and Renee Swartz, chairwoman of the Library Commission — had made a convincing case that library services were vital and shouldn't be cut.

But Deputy Director Robert Clifton said he hadn't heard enough from library officials to address the concerns of Mallet and Curley.
"It sounds like some serious issues," Clifton said.
Holmdel resident Stan Rosenthal told the freeholders during the public session that unmonitored spending by a handful of the county government's "autonomous commissions" could create a problem.

"It seems the only way the freeholders can control the commissions is to control their purse strings. I think it would be a huge step forward in taking control of these commissions," Rosenthal said.

The freeholders later that day unanimously approved a second dedicated tax levy, for the health department, at $1,755,000, about $250,000 lower than in 2009. The difference was attributed to the departure of Wall, which moved to the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission. On an adjusted basis, the tax levy is 2.36 percent more than last year's.

Posted by tumulty at April 13, 2010 6:35 AM

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