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By M. Lisa Monroe
Express News Staff
Town of Webb voters will decide many issues on the May 20 ballot: the school budget, school board members, a capital project, and whether to increase the Old Forge Library’s funding to $110,000, which works out to just under 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, according to President of the Old Forge Library Board of Trustees Don Kelly. On a $200,000 home, the total library funding would cost just under $20.
“It’s certainly a good deal,” said Library Director Izzie Worthen. “We serve the public from pre-school kids to our older citizens. It’s a place where everyone can come.”
The current library funding of $75,000 has not been increased since 2003, but the library’s costs have increased, according to Kelly.
“Our utilities budget has almost doubled over the last 10 years,” said Kelly.
The budget has been so tight at the library that the Board of Trustees has been forced to use funds that it had wanted to use as a permanent endowment to cover operating expenses.
“We’ve been dipping into what we wanted to be our survival funds,” said Worthen.
The cost of living is not the only thing affecting the library’s budget; the landmark building needs a new roof, which is going to cost between $25,000 and $27,000, she said.
“We have an important building in town that we have to maintain in good stead,” said Worthen. “Part of the cost of the new roof will be paid with a grant (of $9,337), but because of the importance of the building, the plans have been upgraded. So, we have to come up with matching funds and all of the increased costs for the upgrade. It’s a big, important building and we serve a lot of people,” she said.
Over the last five years, the library has also increased its hours and services. Kelly says that the library is open more hours. In 2003, the library was open for 31 hours a week but is now open 44 hours per week. The library is also the only place in town that offers free wireless internet service 24 hours a day. The library had 61 special programs last year, a lot of which are paid for through grants, and over 25,000 books were checked out.
There are two school budget hearings scheduled in the Town of Webb Union Free School District: on May 7 at the Woodgate Library and on May 13 at the Town of Webb school gym. Representatives from the Old Forge Library will be on hand to answer questions at these hearings.