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A Few Clouds Library budget and trustee voting on Tuesday
Hewlett-Woodmere and Peninsula Public Library candidates unopposed
On Tuesday, residents of the Hewlett-Woodmere and Peninsula public libraries could vote on their respective budgets and for trustee. For Hewlett-Woodmere voting is at the Woodmere Education Center. Peninsula library voting is at both Lawrence’s high and middle schools, the Number Two School, Atlantic Beach village hall. The times for both are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Hewlett-Woodmere
The proposed budget for fiscal 2015-2015 is $6.246 million, an increase of $52,574 over the current budget plan.
The library, which had a circulation of about 1,000 visitors per day in 2014, also had a total of 15,135 cardholders. The largest spending increases in the budget are for electronic materials and capital improvements, and adding special programs such as reading programs for ESL learners, said William Ferro, the library’s director.
“In our budget, we are planning to spend more on e-books, maintaining our databases and on downloadable magazines,” he said. “For our capital costs, the main cost is on a new roof.”
The library, he said, has always had “wonderful programs.” “We’re always considering new books, new movies, and new games,” he said. “We have stayed below the tax cap and worked hard to keep the budget balanced.”
Since having the library vote on the same day as the school budget vote, the number of library-specific voters went up from 328 in 2013 to 2,446 in 2014; the first year voting was combined.
Alicia Rispoli, the head of youth services for the library, encourages people to approve the budget. “I think that it is important for patrons to vote for passing the budget because there are so many services that our library offers the community,” she said. “We offer an amazing breadth of programming for children and teens, such as story times, crafts, and life skills that contribute positively to their intellectual growth but to their social growth as well.”
Trustee candidate
An attorney for the New York State Department of Health, Hewlett resident Leslie Eisenberg, is running unopposed for the library board. The term is five years.
