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
