On April 7th, the Howland Public Library budget vote and trustee election will be held from noon - 8 PM at HPL at 313 Main Street, Beacon.  HPL is located near the geographical center of our service area, the Beacon City School District.

The Library Board tried to minimize any increase in this difficult year. People will vote on a 2.9% increase of $24,370. This will not even cover our NYS-mandated pension increase of $24,736. Pension costs, which rose 46% this year, are out of the Board's control. The estimated tax impact of this 2.9% increase is less than $3 per year for a house assessed at $200,000 and less than $5 per year for a house assessed at $400,000.

This year, HPL lost funding for several important programs, including $5,500 for our Summer Reading Program.  NYS Library Aid has been cut five times in the last three years. Our state-funded library system has had to pass on contractual delivery and online database charges to member libraries, adding over $10,000 to our budget.

HPL's fund balance carries library operations from the start of our fiscal year on July 1st through the receipt of operating funds (taxes) in November. This use of the fund balance saves the community thousands of dollars in borrowing costs each year. In 2012, the Board has opted to use the fund balance to help HPL provide a consistent level of service while keeping the tax levy down. Copies of the budget are available at HPL.

Voters will also fill two Library Board vacancies.  Trustees Gary Barrack and Patricia Hasapis have chosen not to run again, and are thanked for their years of volunteer service to the community. Candidates (as they appear on the ballot) are Moning Lin, Shawn Waldron, and Peter Ullian. In brief: 

Moning (Tom) Lin lives with his family in the Town of Fishkill and is a long-time HPL user. He served in the U.S. Army from 1969-72 and later attended the Academy of Aeronautics in Queens and the City College of NY. He worked in electronics and computers engineering.

Peter Ullian has been a patron of the Howland Public Library for many years.  He says: "As a writer, the library has been essential to my research. The library's children's programs have also been an important part of my family's life, from the toddler programs when they were young to the family summer programs held Thursday afternoons in July and August. Healthy public institutions keep communities strong and vibrant. It's up to those of us who value them to ensure they remain so.

That's why I'm running for Trustee."

Beacon resident Shawn Waldron has worked as a librarian and archivist for 15 years, the past 8 as chief archivist at media giant Condé Nast. He and his wife are HPL users. He says: "Public libraries are a vital part of a small community like Beacon. While the library obviously makes books, movies, and music available for loan, it also provides essential services to the community, such as computer access and a safe learning and study environment for teens. Growing up, positive experiences in my hometown library fostered a life-long love of libraries and books. As a parent, I feel that it is essential that my own two children be given the same opportunity. I believe my professional experience and knowledge would be beneficial to the library, and I ask voters to give me the opportunity to work with Library Director Fanny Keaton and Trustees on keeping 

the Howland Public Library a dynamic institution in the coming years."  

More information appears in Goldee Green's March 23rd article in the Beacon Free Press.