Library budget vote set for Oct. 25

In a year when reassessments had a dramatic effect on tax bills and inflationary prices have many people struggling, the last word many want to hear is budget.

But it’s a fact of life and Library Director Terry Lucas said she has been very conscious of taxpayers’ concerns and has put together a tight budget for 2026.

On Oct. 25, residents will be asked to approve an $873,760 spending plan that will cost taxpayers $41,465 more than the current year’s budget.

Most of the spending increase comes from building and grounds maintenance at $79,067, up from $35,082. It includes the rental of the trailer that serves as a temporary library space during the construction period and book storage for those tomes unable to fit in the trailer.

Construction on the $9.5 expansion project had been expected to begin much earlier, forcing rental of the trailer sooner than it was ultimately needed resulting in higher costs this year than had been anticipated. There were delays in getting all permits in place and a change in Town Code resulted in a further delay pending site plan review, which held up groundbreaking until May when it had been expected to be months earlier.

Permits took longer to be granted than had been anticipated and just when the project seemed headed for a groundbreaking, the Town changed its Code, forcing the library project to have to undergo site plan review after Ms. Lucas had been told it would not be necessary. Finally the project is galloping forward with no delays with an expectation it will be completed sometime between August and the end of 2026. There have been no cost overruns, Ms. Lucas said.

Voters approved the construction project cost not to exceed $727,000 in June 2023.The debt service of the bond obtained through the Dormitory Authority for the State of New York has turned out to be favorable bond financing with anticipation it will be $655,000, or $71,000 less a year than originallly anticipated. That cost is not reflected in the operating budget.

Because of the reassessments that occurred, it’s not currently possible to give taxpayers a sense of what the operating budget will cost taxpayers, Ms. Lucas said.

“It won’t be much,” she said. About one-third of taxpayers will see a cut in what library operations will cost them; another third will see the same amount they paid this year; and the final third will see a small increase, Ms. Lucas said.People have questioned how the library expansion can cost less when it is in operation than the old building costs, Ms. Lucas said. It’s the result of systems that are more efficient than the old systems, she said.

Voting on the operating budget takes place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Shelter Island School.

‘About one-third of taxpayers will see a cut in what library operations will cost them.’

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