Seymour Library Director Carl Gouveia presented his 2015 projected budget to Sweden Town Board members during their regular meeting September 9.
Gouveia called the library the “heart of Brockport, Clarkson and Sweden,” and explained to council members the nearly 3,000 youngsters and 2,000 teens participated in library programs at Seymour in July and August alone.
Gouveia’s presentation included a pie chart of library expenses which are projected to rise slightly in 2015. The largest increase is in the area of personnel, which shows about a one percent increase.
Equipment costs hold steady in the projected budget, Gouveia explained, thanks to $17,000 in education technology state grant funds obtained by State Senators George Maziarz and Joe Robach. The grant funds assisted with replacing outdated technology, Gouveia said.
On the revenue side, the library is asking the three communities it serves for an increase in funding in 2015 – eight percent from both the Village of Brockport and the Town of Clarkson and two percent from the Town of Sweden.
Gouveia called the increase a “small sliver of your budget.”
“The board supported you last year,” Sweden Supervisor Rob Carges told Gouveia and other Sweden Town Board members appeared to be supportive of the proposed funding increase for 2015.
The requested increase for the Town of Sweden is less than the other two municipalities, Gouveia said, because Sweden last spring agreed to a six percent increase in funding for 2014.
Back on May 27, council members voted to write the library a check for the six percent (about $8,000) following a presentation by Gouveia on the library’s plan to pursue the creation of a special legislative district to fund the library.
At the time, Seymour library officials were requesting formal support by the three municipalities to pursue the special district, but none of the three municipalities passed resolutions providing that support which Gouveia said was crucial in gaining the support of the New York State Legislature.
Sweden leaders in May said they decided to give the full amount of the requested 2014 increase because the cost was less to Sweden taxpayers than the tax increase faced if a special district was created.
Gouveia also presented the 2015 projected library budget to Clarkson Town Board members on September 9. He is expected to make his presentation to Brockport Village Board members at their regular meeting September 15.
