Library budget vote, trustees election takes place today

It’s polling day for libraries in the Riverhead Central School District.

School district registered voters can cast ballots on the proposed Riverhead Free Library budget and the election of three trustees. A record number of 12 people are seeking election to the board of trustees this year. The candidates’ bios are posted on the library website.

Polling takes place at the library today from 10 a.m. through 8 p.m.

Rivehead library trustees have proposed a $4,096,496 operating budget for 2019/2020, a $105,019 — or 2.63 percent — increase over the current budget.

The proposed 2019/2020 tax levy of $3,812,557 is identical to the tax levy for 2018/2019, thanks largely to the application of $101,000 in unassigned funds from the current year.  See the library’s budget handout detailing proposed expenditures and anticipated revenues.

When voters go to the polls on the library budget proposal, they are technically voting on a contract between the Riverhead Central School District and the Riverhead library management association. The library is not a separate taxing district. The library vote has traditionally been held separately from the school district budget vote, as allowed by state law.

Voter turnout in library elections is typically extremely low.
Last year, voters approved Riverhead Free Library’s budget by a vote of 179 to 82. In contrast, school district elections generally draw between 2,500 and 3,000 voters to the polls.

Riverhead Free Library is located at 330 Court Street, with the parking lot entrance located on Osborn Avenue just south of the railroad tracks.

The Riverhead Free Library had 23,609 card holders in 2018 — it lent out 120,443 items and patrons had 35,302 digital downloads, according to the library’s website. There were more than 34,000 attendees at library programs last year, the website says.