| MAY 2026 BALLOT PROPOSITION Shall the annual appropriation for the operation of the Stevens Memorial Community Library be hereby increased by $39,343 for a total of $248,711, and the Board of Education of the Attica Central School District authorized to levy and collect taxes in the District for the payment thereof? |
| $248,711 Levy Requested $0.24 Per $1,000 Assessed Value |
| Why this Increase? |
The Stevens Memorial Community Library asks for additional funding appropriation each year, as inflation rises and costs increase. We have asked for only moderate increases the last several years and have been hesitant to go over the tax cap. But New York State minimum wage and required salary rates continue to rise, as well as utility bills and library operational costs.
Why is the Library on the School District Ballot?
The SMCL is a School District Public Library, meaning it is chartered to serve the residents of the Attica Central School District but operates independently of the schools. The Library Board is comprised of community trustees who oversee the library and its fiscal operations.
This proposition will appear on the ACSD Annual Budget Vote ballot, and a simple majority of yes votes is needed to pass. Any registered voter in the Attica Central School District can vote on this proposition.
What will the increase pay for?
As you can see from the chart below, our actual spending isn’t changing much. The big change is we have been using our reserve funds to supplement our budget, and the above increase would prevent this and preserve our reserve funds. The funds support the library staff salaries, building maintenance costs, and community services like circulating materials, computer usage, and programs. Check out our Annual Report to the Community to see how much the community benefitted from the use of the library last year!
Furthermore, not pulling from our reserve funds to supplement our budget would allow us to make building improvements so we can make sure the library stays around forever! We have to make some repairs to the foundation, for example, which will help the building last longer.
SMCL 2026-2027 Proposed Budget:
Questions? Reach out to the Stevens Memorial Community Library directly. We are glad to talk with any resident who wants to learn more before heading to the polls! Email us at atticalibrarydirector@owwl.org or call us at 585-591-2733
Why this Incrase?