Town Meeting won't pony up for Jones

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on May 16, 2008

With Town Meeting approving its Finance Committee-recommended budget, the Jones Library will likely be closed on Mondays this year.

Town Meeting Monday endorsed a $2.13 million operating budget for the library and rejected amendments that would have increased the budget and maintained the current full week schedule at the Jones Library.

The library budget is $26,338, or 1.3 percent, higher than this year's $2.1 million budget, with total tax support for the library up 2 percent, or $29,223, from $1.46 million to $1.49 million.

Kathleen Wang, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, said after months of discussing how to close the budget gap, the trustees decided to remove $11,000 needed to keep the library open every day. Sentiment prevailed that people would still be able to use the North Amherst and Munson Memorial branch libraries, both of which are open on Mondays.

Vince O'Connor of Precinct 1, though, sought to increase the budget by $25,000, arguing that money collected from overdue fines should be allocated for library services.

O'Connor said it makes no sense to have great materials in the library and no access to the building on Mondays. He also observed that the libraries are a great service being provided on the cheap, noting that more than 25 police officers and firefighters, and more than 60 teachers at the elementary and regional schools, get paid more than the second highest library employee.

His motion was defeated by voice vote.

Isaac BenEzra of Precinct 2 also said it is important to keep the library open on Mondays and made an amendment to add the $11,000.

"We have the money," said BenEzra, noting the town is saving up to $100,000 annually through the drug prescription program Canada Rx.

BenEzra's motion went down by a 117 to 63 tally count.

Carol Gray of Precinct 7 said $11,000 would be worthwhile as a compromise and the town should be fighting for it. "Amherst is about valuing learning and education," Gray said.

Baer Tierkel of Precinct 4 said libraries at the University of Massachusetts and Amherst College are a resource for residents, but O'Connor said it is not realistic to equate these since they don't fulfill children's needs.

Finance Committee Kay Moran said the money proposed in the amendments would have had to come from additional reserves. "We are against taking any more money from reserves to fund the operating budget," Moran said,

The Jones Library could still open Mondays if additional money is raised during the year, Wang said.

Typically, the library raises about 25 percent of its overall budget. "What this means is you get a lot of bang for your taxpayer dollar," Wang said.

One possibility for finding this money is through the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, representing an unnamed donor, which has offered to donate up to $3,000 on a one-for-two basis to close the library's operating deficit for this year.

<h4>Other spending</h4>

Town Meeting approved $1.2 million in Joint Capital Planning equipment purchases, including two school buses, four police cruisers and a sidewalk plow, and $420,000 to replace the roof at the Bangs Community Center.

Adele Levine of Precinct 10 asked whether the police might be able top purchase hybrid vehicles and reduce gas consumption. Police Chief Charles Scherpa said manufacturers aren't yet making hybrids suitable for the department's needs.

Another $143,000 in capital purchases will go for building projects, including a Department of Public Works facility study, a slate roof at Jones Library and energy efficient street lamps. Though O'Connor said the slate roof could have been paid for using Community Preservation Act money, the library trustees weren't sure it would have met the criteria of historic preservation.

Town Meeting also agreed to use $610,000 from Chapter 90 state highway money, of which $110,000 will buy a new backhoe and the rest will be used for road maintenance. Members rejected member Stan Gawle's attempt to remove equipment from this spending. "I think it's bad policy to use this money for equipment when we have other alternatives, other pots of money," said Gawle, of Precinct 2.

"We need the whole $610,000 for the roads," Gawle said.

In other action, Town Meeting approved $100,000 for the reserve fund, which the Finance Committee can use for such items as unanticipated police overtime or the DPW's snow and ice budget.

<h4>Coming up</h4>

On Wednesday, the fifth session of Town Meeting was expected to move into Community Preservation Act articles, including the decision on whether to adjust the CPA surcharge from 11/2 percent to 3 percent. If passed, this will have to go to election in November.

Next week, Town Meeting could move into zoning amendments sponsored by the Planning Board, as well as the elementary and regional schools budgets, both of which were delayed so Town Meeting can have a conversation about the new food service provider and the School Committee decision to have cafeteria workers no longer be employed through the school.