ANSONIA — Residents, staff and Friends of the Ansonia Public Library urged city officials Tuesday to not close the book on fully funding the library budget.
The library budget dominated a virtual public hearing held by the Board of Aldermen to gauge residents’ input on the proposed $59.2 million city budget for fiscal year 2021 – 2022. Taxes do not increase in the budget.
About 40 people tuned in via Zoom.
The current library budget is $490,56, but it’s actually shrunk since COVID-19 hit Connecticut last March, according to city officials.
The library was closed for a spell during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an employee was transferred to the finance department, according to a previous Valley Indy interview with Kurt Miller, Ansonia’s chief fiscal officer (click this link and go to the 20-minute mark of the embedded video).
Library Director Jennifer Lester requested a budget of $458,183 for the new fiscal year starting July 1. The city’s proposed budget funds the library at $445,306 — a difference of $12,877.
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Karen Phipps, president of the Library Board of Directors touted all that’s good about still having a local library in the days of modern technology.
“We have in our city a beautiful, historic building in the Ansonia Public Library,” Phipps said. “It’s on the National Registry of Historic Places. We have a large variety of books, and believe it or not, people still prefer to hold a book in their hands. We have electronic books, audio books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and newspapers. The computers are in use every day, because not everyone has access to a computer at home. Students are tutored there. And we offer passes at discounts to area attractions Sadly, over the last seven to eight years, our library staff has dwindled. When someone has retired, they were not replaced.”
Phipps said the staff, pre-COVID 19 was at about 10 employees, but has shrunk to five full-timers and three part-timers.
Friends’ member Mary Gibson urged the Aldermen to allocate more money.
“I am a lifelong resident and I joined the library as a child and I absolutely love going to the library and still do,” she said. “Not having enough staff would be devastating to the citizens of Ansonia. People look forward to going to the library. It’s not just to get books. There is socialization going on in there. Please reconsider cutting the funding.”
Resident Nina Phipps echoed similar sentiments.
“You can’t Google everything, and there are school projects that kids have to go to the library for and need to use actual encyclopedias,” Phipps said.
Lester also made her case for the library.
“I strive to improve library services and increase the potential I know we can reach,” Lester said. “But due to budget cuts and with the pandemic and positions not being filled the library is at a crippling state. We are an information-based, free service to our residents. We are an asset to our community. Progress can’t be made without being fully funded.”
Alderman Tony Mammone, who chairs the Aldermen’s finance subcommittee, asked Lester to submit information about staffing and hours pre-COVID and what staffing is required now, so the Aldermen can review prior to voting on the budget.
Residents Matt McGowan and Brian Perkins encouraged the city to form an oversight committee regarding how federal COVID relief money coming to Ansonia will be spent.
Miller said the city has received limited guidance on how the one-time funds can be used. The budget under consideration does not include that additional COVID-19 money.
“The federal funds, roughly $5.5 million, should be used as resources for our people and our city,” Perkins said. “I’d like full accountability of these funds and how they’ll be spent and benefit residents. I hope to have an oversight committee formed and have this fleshed out before the money is spent away and not just how city wants to spend it.”
Miller said once the city gets word from the feds, the city will put together a list of projects and potential uses for the money and present it to the Aldermen and tax board for review.
Aldermanic President Josh Shuart lauded all those who worked to create a responsible budget.
“It’s another budget that holds the line on taxes, one with no mill increase, fully funds the Board of Education and takes care of essential city services,” Shuart said. “This was all accomplished during COVID and not in a vacuum.”
Shuart said all residents’ comments will be taken into consideration prior to a budget vote, which has yet to be scheduled. In Ansonia, the Aldermen approve the budget.
The budget, in part, fully funds the Ansonia Public Schools’ budget request of $33.6 million, and also includes $5.4 million for police; $2.1 million for public works and $1.7 million for waste collection. There’s also funding for investments in city infrastructure, technology upgrades and the city’s first long-term capital investment program.
A recent Valley Indy interview with Miller about the proposed budget is embedded below.
