By ANTHONY BOTTAN
In the face of widespread opposition, Suozzi said he does not think the consolidation will happen, but he urged trustees to continue to work together to find efficiencies and share costs to help reduce county residents' property-tax burden.
In a meeting at the Nassau Library System in Uniondale on Tuesday, more than 200 trustees from the county's 54 libraries discussed with Suozzi the potential effects on staffing and services if the county were to create a centralized, library. Most, if not all, were vehemently opposed to consolidation. The consensus was that it would lead to cuts in library staffs, reduced services and less decision-making by local libraries.
Suozzi tried to allay their worries. "You feel threatened by this and there is no reason to," he said. "We are not looking to abolish you and take over with the county."
Suozzi explained that, with the help of Public Financial Management and Hofstra University's Center for Suburban Studies, which are acting as consultants, the county is conducting studies to find out how sharing costs and expenses can save money. He said that no one knows how much money consolidation might save, and added that libraries get the "smallest slice of the pie" when it comes to the county budget. Of the $9 billion in the budget, Suozzi said, libraries receive $150 million - 1.6 percent.
"If you want to push forward with consolidation, we need restored funding," Patricia Poppe, vice president of the Lynbrook Library Board, told him.
Suozzi said his push to consolidate library districts is only one way he hopes to lower property taxes. "I don't believe this is where big savings will come from," he said. Property taxes are so high because there is too much waste, fraud and abuse in the county, Suozzi insisted, pointing to the audits of some schools and special districts. He said there are too many unfunded state mandates and not enough state aid, and that Nassau County gives $3 billion a year more to the state than it gets back.
He also pointed out that Nassau County has stopped growing, which means there are no new sources of property tax revenue. Meanwhile, there are no fewer than 400 separate governments in the county, which, Suozzi said, is too many.
He reiterated that he is not proposing anything, but merely offering ideas to enlist people to help him solve the property tax problem. He asked the library trustees to put together a committee to work with county consultants to find a way to save money.
Suozzi mentioned using a centralized cash management system for the libraries, which would divert funds to struggling facilities. Other suggestions made by the Public Financial Management group included having libraries purchase cooperative health insurance, and arranging group purchasing of books and supplies.
"It would be hard to say what will happen," said Ellen Rockmuller, director of the East Rockaway Library, in a phone interview after the meeting. "[The] library, on a community scale, is responsive to the needs of the community. When you start thinking bigger, it may not be tailor-made to fit our needs."
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