Library Budget Passes With 204 to 71 Vote

 Babylon Village residents approved a $1,827,271 library budget by a vote of 204 to 71 and returned library board president Frank Fronzo to his seat for another term.

Newcomer board challenger Tara McNeil Gonzalez lost her election bid by just seven votes, with a tally of 128 to 121.

The budget represents a spend increase of 1.65 percent and a 2.45 percent tax levy increase. The cost to taxpayers is 86 cents more a month, just under $12 more a year. The current operating budget is $1,797, 527 and presented the same tax levy increase as the proposed budget.

Budget increases, according to library officials, are tied to increasing retirement and health insurance costs: the library faces a 71 percent increase in retirement costs and a 16.8 percent increase in health insurance costs.

The budget reflects some cutbacks in the area of operations, including the newsletter and computer technology spend. The library also reduced spend on legal costs by 33 percent.

Prior to the budget vote, held last Tuesday, Library Director Marina Sullivan said the proposal keeps all current programming and staff in place

According to officials, the library provided 22 percent more programming this year including cooking, crafts, exercise, bridge and book discussions for all ages.

The library is continuing negotiations with the employee collective bargaining unit, which has been working without a contract since it expired on June 30, 2010. Sullivan said the library and the union is now heading into mediation talks.