Community News

N. Merrick residents voting on library budget, trustees

Posted

The North Merrick Public Library is holding its annual budget vote and trustee election today until 9 p.m.

The proposed budget amount for 2016-17 is $2,546,534, which includes an increase of a little more than $92,000 over the current budget, according to the Library Director Thomas Witt. The library’s tax levy, if approved and passed, will increase 3.7 percent. Witt estimated that the average North Merrick household’s property taxes will go up $14, one dollar up from this year.

“The reason why the budget keeps increasing throughout the years is because the library is in need of renovations,” Witt said. “There’s really a lack of funds to renovate the library so this increase will be going towards that.”

Witt said future renovations include replacing the library’s windows and boiler, which are original to the building. The total budget amount includes library materials and electronic resources, library program and public relation costs, as well as operating expenses, personnel services and capital improvement.

Also, incumbent Trustee Bill Pezzulo is running unopposed for a five-year term, which will take effect July 1.

For election results, see liherald.com/merrick on April 21.