Frequently Asked Questions about Chapter 414

As you may have heard, the Pleasant Valley Free Library is planning to have a proposition on the ballot this November that if passed will ensure Town funding sufficient to maintain Library operations for several years.  This kind of proposition is generally known as a Chapter 414 funding from the part of New York State Law that describes the process.  Library Trustees are now asking voters to sign petitions so that the proposition can appear on the ballot.  Library Director Daniela Pulice has prepared a list of frequently asked questions about this year's 414 proposition and supplied the answers, as follows:

1. How much of an increase is the library asking for?

We are asking for an increase to $360,000, which is roughly an extra $26 per household; the cost of one large cup of Dunkin Donuts Coffee a month, or, fifty cents a week.  This means we will move from being 11^th in funding in the county to 10^th in funding. 

2. Why now?

When the library previously asked for an increase in 2006, the Library Board promised to make the money last for 3 years before making another request.  It has been four years since then, and in order to keep up with the growth of the town and the cuts in state and county aid, an increase is now necessary.  A library whose town support is 13^th county wide, such as ours is, cannot afford to keep up the circulation and programming level that we do without town support.  If the vote does not pass, the library is going to have to cut services.

3. Will any of this money go towards a new building for the library?

No.  While the library does plan to expand eventually, none of the money currently being requested will go towards an operating or capital budget for a new library.

4. Why can’t the library get the money somewhere else?

The library makes every effort to apply for grants when they are available, but there are almost no grants which will go towards a library’s operating budget. There is not much federal, state or county funding available for libraries.  In fact, most community libraries receive the lion’s share of their funding from the town they are located in.  Each library, therefore, is really a reflection of the support it receives from its community.  

5. What happened to state and county funding?

Between the state and county cutting of library support, our library has lost $10,000 in funding.  Also, the state and county paid for some state mandated services that they are no longer willing to fund, which will mean an extra $20,000 in library expenses.  Therefore, without changing anything, the library finds itself with a sudden $30,000 deficit.