Council Considers Reducing Funding to Westwood Library

Members of the Westwood council discussed reducing the amount of money provided in the budget for the library Tuesday night to bring it in line with the required third of a mil funding formula for participation in the county cooperative system.

The is a member of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS) and to remain with that status, the borough must provide funding equal to a third of a mil. A third of a mil is 33 cents on each $1,000 of assessed value. When the property values in a municipality increase, funding for the library does also and the opposite is true if property values go down.

In the 2011 budget, members of the Westwood council approved $750,000 for the library. Councilwoman Cynthia Waneck said the third of a mil amount for Westwood this year was $682,166, which means the borough paid the library close to $68,000 more than it needed to for 2011.

Waneck explained that the state law changed this year and now any amount of funding greater than the third of a mil number is included in the 2 percent state mandated cap.

"This year since we went over the third of a mil by over $67,000, we actually cost the borough an additional $12,662 because of the fact we went over that third of a mil cap," Waneck said. She said she expected that to continue for future years.

Waneck, who researched other municipalities with similar population sizes, said Westwood was the only one that funded its library more than the third of a mil number in 2011. She said that information, combined with the additional costs associated with greater funding, convinced her that the governing body should reduce the amount given to the library.

"We're paying a lot of money now over and above what most other municipalities do and we're also going to be penalized for doing that each year," Waneck said.

She suggested lowering the amount of funding incrementally to reach the third of a mil level "so we don't really cripple the library."

Waneck also said she believed the borough should continue to provide "in kind" services to the library, which include grounds maintenance and snow plowing, free of charge.

In March, members of the governing body decided to as a way to save money. Borough Administrator Hoffmann said the change that caused the $12,000 penalty was enacted after March 21, when the budget had already been introduced.

Library Director Martha Urbiel said it's difficult to budget when the third of a mil funding fluctuates each year, explaining that the number has gone up and down over the past several years. She also said the library is getting more visitors. In April, she said 10,200 people visited the library compared to 7,000 four or five years ago.

Councilwoman Ingrid Quinn said the library is a source of pride for Westwood. "Everybody agrees it is a gem in the community. Everybody agrees the services provided are wonderful services provided for people looking for jobs, who are looking for community camaraderie, who are looking for research," she said. "It does fill a lot of needs."

Council members didn't make any decisions regarding the funding Tuesday. The next council meeting is scheduled for May 17.