Middletown Library Closing on Sundays??

I received a message from a friend telling me that the Middletown Library Board of Directors is considering closing the library on Sundays now.

According to my messenger friend, this Wednesday night, Nov. 15th, at their next board meeting, the board members will be holding a vote to close the library on Sundays. Here is a copy of the upcoming agenda.   

This revelation of closing on Sundays seems to add credence to the concerns that Mahat Macote had expressed about a revenue shortfall in the library budget  and possible ongoing shenanigans at the library, that I posted about earlier.

If any of this concerns you then I would suggest you make it to Wednesday night's meeting at the library and make your voice heard.

SAVE OUR LIBRARY! - Library Board Meeting Wed December 19th, 7pm

The Lincroft Village Green Association has serious concerns about the actions and decisions of both the Middletown Township Committee and the Middletown Township Library Board of Trustees in matters affecting the Middletown library budget.

The 2013 library budget is projected as a deficit of $477,900 due to a decrease in funding, an excessive increase in township chargebacks, and the depletion of library reserves after a $499,947 transfer was made at the request of the township in 2011.

The likely results of this deficit will be:

· Branch closures (Lincroft, Bayshore, and Navesink)
· Cuts to library services and materials
· Decrease in operating hours at the main branch
· Increase in user fees and fines to increase revenue
· Layoffs of staff
· De-municipalization: Middletown's library system could be turned over to the Monmouth County Library system.

The LVGA recognizes that Middletown residents will be adversely affected if these cuts to services occur. The Free Public Library as an institution is a vital and valued public service which contributes in a meaningful way to the quality of life in our community.

If you value your library, we encourage you to attend the next Middletown Library Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 7:00pm at the Main Branch, 55 New Monmouth Road. Meeting agenda click here The LVGA believes that a public forum should be held without delay to inform the public about the budget crisis and its impact on our residents and students.

Associated Links:

Library Budget FACTS: Understanding the Numbers
Township Library Charge Back For 2012 Budget Year letter (June 7, 2012)
Letter from concerned library advocate regarding chargebacks
Library Meeting Agenda


Quick Links:

LVGA Website 
Newsletter & 2013 Membership Drive

Middletown Library In Dire Financial Straights, Its Future Is In Jeopardy

A number of people over the past year, have been expressed their concerns about the future of Middletown's library, chief among them have been Randell Gabrielan and Linda Baum, who have warned repeatedly of the consequences that are now shaping up to take place, due to the Township's meddling in the affairs of the library and the raiding of it's funds. Library hours and services will soon be cut back, branches will be closed and possible employee lay offs could be starting next month or very early in the new year.

Consider how important our library has been to our community and all the good it has done for Middletown, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it's a damn shame what's been happening to it and the fate that awaits it, starting tonight, at the monthly Board of Trustees meeting.  Tonight, the Board of Trustees will be discussing the budget for next year and thus the fate of its ongoing operations.

 According to the latest blog post by Library Director, Susan O'Neal (posted on the library's website yesterday) -  Library Working on 2013 Budget - the situation seems dire:

 ...Some very hard decisions lie ahead, and the Board of Trustees will be discussing this budget, starting tomorrow night. The details are not available yet, but we're prepping for a budget with these facts at hand.

1. The budget from the Township, called the municipal appropriation, will be reduced by 3.84% to $3,470,977, or $139,407 less than the 2012 appropriation. The cumulative decrease is 20% in 4 years.

2.Of this, $1,333,493 is expected to be chargebacks to be paid back to the Township for payroll, health care and retirement contributions and insurance costs. That's 40% of the municipal appropriation for the library, and we haven't even written out what we need to spend for books. These chargebacks are $300,000 more than was requested in 2011.

3. The net change in the financial picture since July of this year is -MINUS $477,407. Some of you predicted this last year when the library transfered nearly $500,000 in reserve funds to the Township.

What is there that can be done by library supporters/patrons to try and head off potential service cuts or branch closures? Ms. O'Neal states in her blog post:

"...The budget discussion will take place in open session, of course, and, hearing your priorities will be helpful to us as it is decided what stays and what goes....

You can come to the meeting or send me your comments. All signed comments will be shared with the Trustees of the Library." 

If you can't make it to tonight's meeting, you can send your comments to the Library Director via her email - soneal@mtpl.org 

The Middletown Library system has often been described as the "Jewel" of our community, I hope that residents make themselves heard loud and clear, in order to head off or lessen the severity of potential budget and/or service cuts that seem imminent. The jewel has lost a lot of  it's shine over the past 20 months, to allow it to be tarnish and grow dim any further would be wrong.  

Middletown Township taps Library for another $338K!

 (Here we go again, I told you so; another money grab by the Township of Library funds is underway )

by guest blogger Linda Baum

At last night’s Library Board meeting (6/20/12), it was announced that the Library had received a letter from the Township claiming the Library owed another $338,493 for its portion of pension, hospitalization, and workers compensation expenses for budget year 2012.  I was not provided a copy of the Township’s analysis, so can’t say if those are the only categories of expenses addressed in it, but those were the ones mentioned at the meeting.

Each year, a figure for these costs is provided by the Township for the Library Board to use in developing its annual budget.  The Township previously provided the figure for the Library’s 2012 budget, which has already been completed and approved by the Board after considerable discussion. 

Now, the Township is saying an error was made – by the Township – and a review of the numbers by the CFO has uncovered significant mathematical mistakes.

Board member and Township Committeewoman Stephanie Murray seemed to lay the blame at the Library Board’s feet, saying that these figures had not been thoroughly reviewed by former Boards.  She touted the benefits of increased board participation, even though, as I understand it, the Township had brought this matter to the Board, not visa versa.  (Board membership was increased from 7 to 9 this year.)

Library Director Susan O’Neal noted that the annual figure provided by the Township had shown increases over time, in line with what would be expected.  

It seems to me that Ms. Murray was overlooking the fact that the mistake – if that is really what this is -- was on the part of the Township.  Certainly, the Board has a right to rely on information that the Township provides.

A move like this by the Township was not unexpected by those of us who have been following what has been going on in the last year and a half.  While this is being “window dressed” as just an accounting error or math mistake, it was surely undertaken with the intent of justifying a transfer of funds.  The Library Board’s new Township-installed president, Larry Nelsen, called it “unfortunate”.  I think that is a pretty tame word for such an obvious tactic.

Board member Vivian Breen was critical of the move and questioned how accurate the Township’s own records can be if these kinds of mistakes are being made.  Good question. 

I asked the Board if they’d had a chance to thoroughly review the numbers provided by the Township.  Of course they could not have if the letter was only just received this week, and it’s unlikely much delving will be done given the make-up of the new Board.

So where will the money come from to the pay the $338K tab?  Roughly $313K will be taken from reserves and $25K from the materials budget. That means some materials that were going to be purchased won’t be.  There was no mention of whether the reserves are protected or unprotected reserves, and I didn’t ask since there seems little point in making the distinction anymore.  Further, any “protection” may not apply here because the funds are, technically, being used rather than taken.

Remember the parking lot expansion project?  That’s now off the table -- again.  However, the Board – specifically a few of the new Township appointees – said that no layoffs or branch closures are planned.  It seemed to me that the assurance was coming from the Township to encourage cooperation.