By Marley Seaman
Residents were angry that the trustees did not present the budget sooner, and said the board should be more clear about what it does with the money it collects but does not spend.
The proposed 2006-07 budget totals just under $3 million, almost $1.2 million above the current budget. More than $1 million of that increase was related to the building of the new library, which officially began on March 31.
The bond for library construction, passed in June 2003, totaled $9.975 million. The budget proposal includes $500,000 for unexpected expenses related to delays in purchasing the property where the library will stand and increases in the cost of building materials and fuels. Taxpayers will also make the first of 20 years of payments on the bond, which added more than $577,000 to the spending plan.
Several audience members at the meeting voiced irritation with the trustees¹ explanation of the delays and costs. ³You just said you didn¹t want to ask the community for more than $10 million,² one resident said. But by the time construction is complete, she added, ³You will have spent almost $11 million on a library and [have less of a library than] you had promised to give for the original $10 [million].²
Board members said that aside from the unexpected expenses and the bond payment, the budget had only increased by a small amount.
Earlier in the year, the trustees said they would present the proposed budget during the March 27 board meeting. At that meeting, however, board members said they had not been able to finish the budget. ³We attempted to have meetings to get the budget together, but due to illnesses and other things, we were not able to meet,² said Vice President Ray Duran on April 3. ³We could have thrown numbers together and had them [at that meeting] for you to talk about, but what¹s the point?²
Residents at the meeting said that the board had broken a promise it made last May to present this year¹s budget for public comment and possible revision. The budget had to be submitted to the West Hempstead school board by April 3, the day of the meeting, so no revisions were possible.
The library¹s general fund and capital fund were also discussed at length at the meeting. Residents said the board consistently collects more money than it needs, and puts it into a general fund without reporting it to the public. ³Why can¹t you show us a factual budget each year?² asked resident Scott Jablow.
³A budget by its nature is a guesstimate,² said board President Ralph Reissman, adding that the library needs to have these kinds of funds.
Gary Hertzan, who serves as the library¹s accountant, said that at the end of the last fiscal year, on June 30, 2005, the balance of the general fund was approximately $217,000. He declined to estimate how much money is presently in the fund. Money in a general fund can be used to pay for any kind of operating expenses at the library. An additional $608,000 has been saved in a capital fund, and most of that money will be spent on furniture and fixtures at the future library. Board members said the law prevented them from using money from the bond to pay for those furnishings.
Residents said that while they were not accusing the board of improper or illegal behavior, they were frustrated at having to pay more than they had expected for the library and at the lack of disclosure. The exchanges were often tense.
³Do you think that¹s a lot?² asked Trustee Andrea Giordano, referring to the $11 million.
³I do ... when I¹m not getting [anything] for it,² said resident Chris Fennes.
The board also explained that the library does not have a line-item budget. The only thing the community approves is the final amount. The individual items are estimates and can be changed at will. For example, the board has proposed spending $34,000 on printing and publicity, but after the budget is approved, it could devote that money to security.
Hertzan said the budget process may not get any easier in the future. Only after the move to the new building is complete will the board find out what items like heating, security and repairs will cost. ³That¹s going to be the hardest budget,² he said.
Jablow said that stricter standards need to be used in the library budgeting process. ³While this board may not be doing anything illegal, it certainly opens up the door in the future where somebody can, and there are not checks and balances,² he said.
Reissman said the library would create a pamphlet to explain this year¹s budget to voters. If the budget is rejected, the board can resubmit it an unlimited number of times.
Comments about this story? MSeaman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
