Emma S. Clark Library Budget Vote Today

Three Villagers can visit the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. today to vote on a proposed operating budget of $4.5 million for the upcoming year.

The proposed budget represents a 1.64 increase over last year's budget of $4.37 million, and reflects increases in taxes and benefit costs.

Social security and retirement costs have increased by $111,000, while health insurance costs have increased $20,000 from last year. The MTA tax, which amounts to $9,000 for the coming year, had not been figured into last year's budget but is taken into account this year.

In a recent interview, former library director Ed Elenausky said, "The board wanted a very lean budget because of the way the economy is. We looked for places where we could shave a few dollars...to keep the increase under control."

Should the budget not pass, last year's budget would apply, which Elenausky said would mean cutbacks in some products and services.

The 2010 budget passed by a vote of 334 to 74.