Library seeks funds, school costs go up

NORTH CANAAN — Members of the board of directors of the Douglas Library came before the boards of selectmen and finance seeking funding, as well as long-awaited clarification of the library’s status.Back in the 1920s or 1930s, what was once a prominent residence on Main Street was given to the town to use as a library, or to be sold to finance a library on another site. It somehow became a quasi-town endeavor, with the town in more recent years underwriting a portion of its operating expenses. The rest of the funding (what now amounts to about 40 percent of its operating costs) is raised by the directors and a friends of the library group.Over the last 15 years, the directors, Library Director Norma DeMay and Librarian Pam Farzan have brought the library into the new century with computers, circuit programs that ensure an ever-changing selection of movies and recorded books and an online source for books that is available 24-7. To do it all, they had to negotiate discounts and do regular fundraising for the first time in the library’s history.Recently, with a tough economy, the library has been a vital resource for people who cannot afford a computer and Internet access for job searches.DeMay and several board members attended a March 19 presentation of the selectmen’s budget to the Board of Finance. The library is asking for $83,000 for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The selectmen are proposing $75,740 — an increase of $2,300 or what would amount to about a 3 percent salary increase, which is what town employees are getting.A particularly pressing issue here is the determination of who is responsible for the library. Directors Bunny McGuire, Stephanie Shearer and Lance Beizer and DeMay asked for an update on the town attorney’s opinion on the legal status of the library. It was given to the town, they said, and operates as a free service for residents, yet it is not fully funded by the town.Last year, they had to cover an $8,000 shortfall from a small endowment, which they said should not go toward operating expenses.The Douglas operates with the lowest budget among libraries in the state, and at the lowest per capita rate. The affordability comes from limited hours. It is open 27.5 hours over four days each week. Most of the budget goes to salaries, so a larger budget would go primarily to expanding the library’s schedule.First Selectman Douglas Humes said it is his understanding that the matter of whether or not the library is a town entity had been resolved and that it is a town entity. All that is needed is to set it up properly, because it had not been done so originally.“Once it goes to a town meeting, it will become an official public library and the town will take over all aspects and expenses,” Humes said.Library representatives expressed their dismay over not having been kept in the loop, even during a recent revision of the by-laws with town attorney Judith Dixon. They were advised by Humes and town Treasurer Emily Minacci that they could still have a board of directors and fundraise, but that all monies would go through the treasurer’s office. There was discussion about what the role of the directors would become and how much discretion it would have over spending the money raised or donated, or in the endowment that they have worked to establish.Humes agreed to set up a meeting with library representatives and Dixon. That was to take place March 26 (after The Lakeville Journal went to press). The goal is to have the matter resolved before the next meeting of the Board of Finance, where it will be an agenda item. The finance board will use that April 9 meeting (7:30 p.m. at Town Hall) to discuss budget proposals presented last week by the selectmen and North Canaan Elementary School.Town budgetThe selectmen are proposing an increase of $83,223, or 3.3 percent. The finance board discussed the fact that town employees do not pay a portion of health insurance premiums. There are only nine or 10 employees (town officials offered differing information) who take insurance coverage, but employee life and health benefits would likely cost the town more than $255,000 in the coming fiscal year. Finance members indicated they wanted to talk further about that as they consider budget proposals. Education budgetThe school is seeking a 5.7 percent increase, or more than $230,000. With premium hikes and changes to coverage by employees, they are looking at a 41 percent increase, or more than an additional $160,000 for health insurance. The biggest budgeting factor for North Canaan is the Region One School District assessment. Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick gave a detailed account of yet another increase in the percentage North Canaan pays for Housatonic Valley Regional High School and regional education expenses, based on the number of students from North Canaan at the high school.The current budget proposal on the table has a $709,805 increase. North Canaan will be assessed for $320,484 of that, or 45 percent. For the Housatonic Valley Regional High School portion of the regional budget (which include Central Office and Pupil Services) North Canaan currently pays 30.99 percent. In the coming budget year, it will pay 32.38 percent, and 34.5 percent in the following. Those are real numbers. Projections show a potential downward trend. Elementary schools are surveyed for information that includes the number of students who may go to schools other than Housatonic. But the numbers are still high at 31.9 and 29.2 percent in successive years.“We realize this comes on the heels of multiple years of similar large increases,” Herrick said, “and we are fully aware of the impact the regional budget has on North Canaan.”Herrick said the Region One school board has already pared the budget down and will continue to work on a planned 4.92 percent increase.