Bellmores prepare for library votes

Bellmore and North Bellmore residents will vote on their respective libraries’ budgets next week.

The Bellmore Memorial Library Board of Trustees and budget election is first on the calendar, with voting slated for Wednesday, April 9, from 2 to 9 p.m. The North Bellmore Public Library vote will be held on April 10 from 1 to 9 p.m. 

The Bellmore Library’s proposed budget includes an increase in the tax levy –– or the total amount that the library needs to raise in property taxes to meet expenses –– of 3.5 percent. In a letter to the community in their spring newsletter, library officials implored residents to approve the $2.74 million spending plan so they can continue to fulfill their mission and be “the information and communication center of the community where people, ideas and knowledge come together in a common space for the purpose of lifelong learning.”

In the letter, officials highlighted achievements and new programs instituted at the library in 2013. The library had more than 116,000 visits last year, with patrons borrowing from a collection of books, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays, books on CD, videogames and language instructional kits. Officials also said they offered new services at the library such as the RailRoad Book Cart, which delivered paperbacks to summer commuters, and Zinio, which provides downloadable magazines to patrons.

Two candidates are also running for one seat on the Bellmore Library board. The incumbent, Karolyn Hertzberg, will vacate her position in June. Robert Paz and Lois Rosenberg are running for the post.

In North Bellmore, Barbara Fillios, the board’s current president, is running unopposed.
The North Bellmore budget plan calls for $2.73 million in spending. The 2014-15 budget includes a tax-levy increase of 1.27 percent.

According to library budget figures, a North Bellmore home assessed at $334,375 would pay $300 in library taxes next year, if the spending plan is approved.

The proposed 2014-15 budgets for both libraries are available on their respective websites.

For the Bellmore Memorial Library budget, click here. 

For the North Bellmore Public Library budget, click here.