Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A Letter to our Patrons



On Friday, May 10th, in an article about the proposed 2013 Caldwell Borough Budget, Paul Carelli, Borough Administrator, was quoted as stating that the Caldwell Library budget has been increased by 30%. Although this is technically true, it requires more explanation.  The 30 percent increase attributed to the Caldwell Public Library budget is in fact a reflection of bookkeeping changes by the borough across all departments. 

Included in this 30% are the state mandated pension and benefits that were previously paid directly by the Borough, which are now to be reallocated to the Library's total budget. In actuality, if one were to remove this new line reallocation, our operating budget is flat, and cuts have been made in the areas of insurance, utilities and supplies to partially compensate for the added burden to our budget.

The State of NJ mandates how much money must be collected to support library services. That amount has fallen every year for the past four years. For the 2012 budget, the state mandated that the Borough collect $359,559, but for 2013 our allocation is only $342,890. Additional revenue is provided by the Borough in order to keep our doors open.  We have worked closely with the Finance Committee to keep operating expenses at a minimum while continuing to offer our patrons quality service.

The Caldwell Library Foundation is instrumental in supplementing the money allocated by the Borough. The money raised from efforts like the Mayors' Gala are an important contribution that supplements the Library's budget.

We enjoy a positive, cooperative relationship with our Mayor and Council, and members of the Finance Committee.  We thank them and the citizens of Caldwell for their continued support.

Nancy Caplan, President
Caldwell Public Library Board of Directors

Adele Puccio, Director
Caldwell Public Library