FARMINGTON – Selectmen made their budget recommendations at Tuesday’s meeting that included a major cut in the library’s funding request and a raise in selectmen’s pay.
Requests for the 2017 municipal operating budget total $5,667,678, which is an increase of $246,647, or 4.55 percent over 2016’s budget.
The Budget Committee met last week and voted on a total recommended budget of $5,623,633, for a $202,602 or 3.74 percent increase.
Selectmen voted Tuesday night to recommend a $5,616,411 total budget, which is an increase of 195,380 or 3.6 percent over the 2016 budget.
The difference in the two boards’ recommendations came in the public library’s request and the addition of a raise for selectmen.
The library’s board of directors initially requested a total of $209,990 from the town but amended that after selectmen expressed dismay at their last meeting of the 40.46 percent increase in funding appropriation from the 2016 budget total of $149,500.
Library Director Maurie Stockford and library board treasurer Richard Morton presented a revised request on Tuesday evening totaling $187,094. At that level of funding they proposed, the library’s hours of operation would drop from 40.5 hours a week to 32 hours a week. In addition, two part-time library aide positions would be cut and the other employees’ pay would be reduced. A third part-time library aide position would decrease from 10 hours a week to three hours a week.
“We tried to be responsive to it in a responsible way,” Morton said of the concern selectmen expressed at the last meeting.
Before the library board brought its revised request, the Budget Committee members had voted last week to recommend a total of $165,945 for an 11 percent increase in library funding. The board’s Chairman Clyde Ross said the 11 percent recommendation was an arbitrary number the board had settled on.
At the committee’s recommended level, Stockford said the library’s hours would decrease to 30 hours per week, all aide positions would be cut and the four remaining positions would be cut to part-time positions at 30 hours per week each. Additionally, the interlibrary loan participation at $11,960 a year would not be funded.
Selectman board Chairman Joshua Bell asked how the library’s operational costs had increased by so much over the years. “Twenty years ago it wasn’t $200,000,” he said of the request for funding.
Morton said salary levels, including the library director’s which requires an advanced library science degree, had increased, along with the health insurance requirement. The library’s endowment fund is no longer providing revenue as it once did. Stockford said in 2002, it contributed $72,000 towards operating costs. This year it’s expected to provide $50,000.
“That’s a substantial decrease,” she said.
“We had to obtain health insurance. That was a big bump; it’s a number that never stops growing,” Morton said. Also, the 20 computers available for the public’s use at the library requires more staffing.
“The library is no longer a place dominated by books, but by technology,” he said. Providing access to technology brings with it a need for increased staffing to help those who don’t have a computer at home learn how to navigate online.
“It seems like the biggest pull on staff are the computers,” Bell noted. He questioned the wisdom of increasing staffing to provide for computer use rather than remaining focused on books.
Libraries, Stockford said, are defined as “information resource” centers. She noted that in 2002, 47,000 items were in circulation. Over the years the number has grown to 57,000 items in 2016. Those coming into the library to use its computers are residents who don’t have access at home. Computers help apply for a job, pay taxes, build and send resumés and more, she said.
“What you guys are asking for is just too much,” Selectman Matthew Smith said. Another issue he said was that only $1,500 is expected to be raised this year as benefit activities.
“That’s a very, very low number,” Selectman Michael Fogg said. He noted the nonprofit organizations he’s involved with are constantly working to raise money. Selectmen voted 3 to 2, with selectmen Stephan Bunker and Andy Buckland opposed, to recommending a 5.5 percent increase to total $157,723 for the library, a difference of $29,371 from what was requested.
Also in a split 3 to 2 vote, selectmen recommended to increase the stipend pay by $200 each for the five members of the board of selectmen. Fogg made the motion after noting that it’s been 11 years since the last raise. Bell said he struggles with the idea of recommending a raise for himself. Ross said it was only a recommendation for voters to consider. Fogg, Smith and Bunker voted for the recommended amount and Bell and Buckland were opposed.
Both boards are recommending increases in proposed departmental budgets include an additional $81,565 in Farmington Fire Rescue’s budget, covering the cost of the full-time firefighter positions implemented last year. Residents overwhelmingly supported the department’s budgetary request at the 2016 town meeting, effectively adding four, full-time firefighter/EMT positions to the department. That budget included roughly $33,000 to cover the cost of the positions for nine months, while this year’s budget includes $52,000 to cover the cost for 12 months.
The Budget Committee scheduled an additional meeting Wednesday night to consider the changes made by the selectmen Tuesday night.
Voters will have the final say at the annual town meeting this spring.
Appalling that the need for the library’s resources are not considered a priority.
How much more do you think your tax payers can handle? The County Budget’s participation is going up with a substantial decrease in Jay’s contribution. The School wants $1.38MILLION more. The library wants more. The Fire Dept wants more. The Public Works wants more. General Assistance will go up.
The State is paying less. Where does it stop?
Less funding for the library, more stipend for the selectman?
Why not fund a potion of the umf library and shut the town one down, i mean there only a couple blocks from each other. Sell the town library and throw it back on the tax map. Its interesting you can get everything oline so cheap yet we spend so much to fund these town depts.
Senior, I’m unclear where you see any evidence of the school asking for 1.38 million more in the budget. Based on the article here regarding beginning budget talks, there is reference to an additional $817,628 for the 17/18 school budget but the budget deliberations have not even begun yet.
What is the current stipend for selectmen? It is hard to judge the reasonableness of the increase without understanding what they get paid.
I assumed these people served out of a sense of civic mindedness and find it interesting that they find their pay to be a big enough issue to raise during a period of big budget pressures. $200 is not a lot of money but highly symbolic in terms of revealing their priorities considering the library will be reducing its hours..
The town will pass the library increase, the library has always been supported and will continue to be supported by the people of Farmington!
The library is an invaluable part of life in Farmington. They provide so much to so many of us. Our library is already closed 2 1/2 days a week, and the wonderful and friendly staff is always working hard when I am at the library Any further cuts to staff or hours would be unacceptable. In these troubled times, access to knowledge and information regardless of income is more important than ever..
It was rather intense to go from the recent student-led University panel presentation on Poverty in our county and then go home to this town news from the Bulldog. Given the dire local stats on poverty, and ultimately education being the ticket forward, we need to keep our eyes wide open.
Cut library hours and staff? Our library is a source of information for the public, an education hub for our community. Yes, information used to come through books, but now it comes through numerous sources. Our library is in walking distance to so many and serves as a mini career center, providing access to computers for applications, job searches, resume development, etc. It is a backup source of Internet access for the increasing number of people in town who work remotely. Did you know that in one square block close to downtown there are 6 of us working remotely? In this rapidly changing world, we must be open to how best embrace the future and new opportunities?
I recently attended a library program to learn how to keep my grandchildren safe on the Internet, just one of the many programs the library offers the public. The library provides access to unlimited information; offers resources to solve problems; assists K-12, college, and continuing education students of all ages. As an impartial community hub, our library provides engagement, resources, and solutions, so people can help themselves, no matter their income or background. Kudos to all the helpful library staff. DO NOT CUT PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS.
In the current information age, citizens need access, options, and opportunities. Lifelong learning is the future. Do you give a man a fish or teach him how to fish?
Our selectmen expect a budget increase so a wage increase is not out of line.Kudos to those that opposed.
Mr. Morton said the salary of the director increased due to the fact that the person had to have an advanced degree. I believe the previous director also had an advanced degree so that should be a null point. He also states that they had to buy health insurance. Yes, you saved money for many years as a director did not need health insurance. How many employees qualify for health insurance? How much do they pay toward it, most employers only pay a portion of it for their employees. And, again I ask, how many hours do you consider full time in order to offer health insurance? If the taxpayers are being asked to supplement the wages then the requirements should be the same as any other town employee, benefits for a person who works 40 hours.
It is a lovely library and now they have beautiful new bookcases. It would be interesting to see how much they have spent on them and the lounge chairs and other new furnishings. Go there and look around and see how our money is spent before you determine how much to budget. Do we want a library or a coffee house?
can not afford money for library but how much was wasted on the new parking lot and destroying a building. why not have volunteers for library like most of the smaller towns
Answering Maineiac’s questions and observations, I submit the following information. The Library Science degree and health insurance became part of the recruitment process almost 10 years ago, during our search for the previous director. We could not attract a qualified director without offering health insurance. The question asked of me was why had costs increased so much over the past 10-15 years, not the last year. We offered health insurance to all full time employees at that time (3 people, I think), because it was the only fair thing to do. All employees contribute monthly to their health insurance premium cost. Full time at the library is 30 hours or more.The Director is on salary and works in excess of 40 hours per week. If you think full time should only mean 40 hours, that is your right. Since we don’t offer 40 hours to anyone,we just can’t accept that as our standard.
The library offers no family coverage and no retirement plan. Our insurance premium was less per worker than the town’s premium,the last time I addressed that issue.
My answer to the selectmen was that costs have increased in every area of operations, and our income has not kept pace. Anyone who has a question regarding a particular expense is welcome to come to the library and ask or look at our detailed budget at the town office or the library. This anonymous forum is not the place to discuss whether a particular chair was purchased with funds from income, appropriations, a gift, a focused grant or some other source. The question is-what level of library services do the citizens want?