The second draft of the proposed library budget for 2002 was presented at a public meeting on March 20. Rather than proposing an increase of 2 percent in the tax appropriation revenues, business manager Neil Zitofsky suggested that the surplus of $80,800 in the current budget be applied to 2002. The projected budget for 2002 would weigh in at $6,567,400.

In a memo to interim library director, Arlene Nevens, which was released at the meeting, Mr. Zitofsky wrote, "The 5-year projection shows that, going forward, we should maintain an applied balance pegged to one-half of the increase in tax appropriations, and not attempt to eliminate the applied balance in the name of achieving a balanced budget. It is these tax increases, which we benefit from in July of the year they are adopted rather than in January of the year for which they are budgeted, which continues to create an unwarranted surplus year after year."

The various increases and decreases in the budget are fairly straightforward. Salaries are inching along at a slight .4 percent increase while health care benefits cause a rise of 4 percent in the employee benefits package. Salaries and benefits comprise 74.3 percent of the total expenditures. The actual figure is $4,878,100.

The next largest category of expenditures is in library materials, which comprises 11.5 percent of the total expenditures. The 2002 budget calls for a 3.7 percent decrease from the 2001 budget in this category. The actual figure is $752,400. This category now encompasses electronic data sources and needs. For example, a service like Value Line on-line which is available for the public is covered under the title of electronic format materials while behind-the-scenes data bases for processing materials falls under the title of data base services. The fee of the Internet service provider ($16,900) also falls in this category. The cost of newspapers has risen 14.3 percent as well as newspapers on microfilm by 10 percent. However, the reason that this general area has decreased overall, according to Mr. Zitofsky, is that in the main library there is no room for a major expansion of the collection. Emphasis is on replacement of worn materials. The same is true for the video collection.

There remains a strong commitment to the popular Levels and Jr. Levels programming for pre-teens and teens with a projected increase in allocations in 2002 for a total of $21,000 to fund both programs.

The total library operations category is slated to decrease by some 9.4 percent from 2001 to an actual figure of $333,500. This figure covers the cost of office supplies ($16,000), computer supplies ($12,000), telephone costs ($50,000), election expenses ($12,000), accounting fees and the like. The major slash in this category was in publicity and printing costs by some 63 percent.

Building expenses comprise another category. The total cost is budgeted for $563,400 for all four buildings. A slight decrease is expected in electricity costs while there is an anticipated rise of 19 percent in sewer taxes. Aggressive negotiating in regard to liability and property insurance costs has resulted in a decrease of 25 percent in that expenditure. Overall, the budget calls for a 4.9 percent increase in this category.

By the time this paper appears on the newsstands on Thursday, the library board will probably have approved the final version of the budget on March 27. Copies of the budget are available at all the library branches. Interim library director, Arlene Nevens and business manager, Neil Zitofsky, are available to answer questions stemming from community members regarding the proposed 2002 budget.