Rockville Centre Library offers tight budget

The Rockville Centre Public Library has proposed a budget for 2016-17 that barely increases spending over the current plan thanks to cost-saving measures and across-the-board trimming.

For the average house valued at $500,000, the proposed budget would increase taxes by just about $18.25. The proposed spending plan has a tax levy $13,592 higher than the current budget, bringing the total tax levy to just under $3.39 million — a .4 percent increase.

“The board of trustees maintains its commitment to the community to contain expenses while improving and expanding services and programs to our patrons,” said Catherine Overton, the library director.

The largest increases in the budget are in employee salaries and program expenses. Salaries would rise 2 percent, or slightly more than $32,000.

Spending on programs would increase by $9,000, or 25 percent. Overton said that the library is responding to feedback from patrons who want a wider variety of programs.

“Our patrons of all ages enjoy library programming, which is becoming more popular and important to the community,” she said. “In recent years, the library has exceeded its budget line for programming to address our patrons’ requests. We considered the funds well spent! Accordingly, we increased this budget line to give us the flexibility to continue to provide quality programs for tots to retirees.”

The library plans to reconfigure space to add more tables and seating in both the adult and children’s areas. There will be more play space in the children’s area, and an additional group study room. And thanks to a grant, computers in both areas will soon be updated.

But there are a number of cuts in the budget as well. Spending on virtually all materials — like books and DVDs — would decrease or remain unchanged. Some of the cutbacks would come because the library is offering more material digitally, and plans to remove redundant physical copies.