Library budget vote set for Saturday
Voters will have their say Saturday on a proposed $700,339 budget for operation of the Shelter Island Library i 2017.
The budget adds $22,700 to the spending plan for the current year and would cost an average Island median household an additional $4.66 for a property assessed at $770,000, according to Library Director Terry Lucas.
Additional spending results from increases in memberships and professional licenses, fees and dues. That’s budgeted for $64,874 for next year as compared with $58,500 in the current year.
Among the fees is membership in the Suffolk County Cooperative Library System that provides sharing services of books with libraries throughout the area.
There’s an increase of $3,530 for books and other media to replace old and worn classics and bring non-fiction materials up to date.
Library services extend beyond borrowing of books and materials to various community programs for young children, students and adults. Supporting costs for those programs is slotted to increase from $12,500 to $17,350.
Salaries, benefits and employee taxes are up by $3,790, a number that might have been higher had there not been several staff turnovers this year.
Voting takes place between10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday at the library.
