Library budget OK’d, Comer, Keller elected

Sarah Minkewicz

Despite poor weather conditions more than 600 residents turned out to the Port Washington Public Library to pass the library’s budget and to elect Nancy Comer to another term as library board trustee and Bill Keller to his first term. 

“You never know for sure what’s going to happen and especially with the bad weather we had,” Comer said after being re-elected for her second five-year term. “I was very pleased to be re-elected.”

The election was held on April 12 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the lobby of the Port Washington Public Library.

The library race featured four candidates altogether running to serve for a five-year term. Comer won with 444 votes and Keller won with 373 votes. Trustee positions are unpaid.

Port Resident and web developer and programmer Jeffrey Siegal lost with 133 votes, and certified public accountant Eric Kruger lost with 83 votes. There were 2 write ins. 

Comer said her longtime involvement with the library, service on the Health Advisory Council, and founder of the unique “Books for Dessert,” a book club for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities program, and her experience on not-for-profit boards and years serving on Library committees have given her the skills and experience to make a meaningful contribution to the library. 

Comer said she believes the library’s biggest challenge is technology and keeping up with the digital age. 

“We’ve all heard that libraries are irrelevant soon they’ll be gone, but not this one. Other libraries are struggling now to do what we’ve been doing for years, changing,” Comer said. “I want to help keep the library doing what it does best, maintain itself as one of our community’s most valuable resources. As well as aid its ongoing transformation to meet the challenges of the digital age.”

“I’m looking forward to the next five years,” Comer said. 

Keller, who’s also Vice President of Finance and Administration at Queens College, said he believes his experience in higher education, management consulting, investment banking, health care, and secondary school teaching business and government will help the library maintain and expand programs despite budget constraints. 

“I’m very excited,” Keller said adding that one of the first things he will do is familiarize himself with the library and it’s procedures. 

“As a non-incumbent I had to take time to educate myself about the library,” Keller said. 

Keller said during his five-year term he hopes to help the library create a new database and start a laptop loan program. He said he also wants to focus on space management and creating more room in the library as the construction of the new Children’s Room in underway. 

“For the past 13 years I’ve been responsible for facilities management and construction at two major community colleges,” Keller said. “I can help our excellent library management team to ensure that the new children’s library center is done according to plan and hopefully within the budget. I have managed budgets for government and private sector companies and know how to do more with less. I’ve developed and successfully Implemented plans to increase revenues, obtain grants and partner with other organizations to increase services within a strict budget.”

The library intends to turn the Children’s Room into the Jackie and Harold Spielman Children’s Library. 

Library officials said the space is going to be completely renovated with a new design to include updated technology, as well as expanded workshop and reading space. The project’s cost is estimated at $1.5 million and will be funded by private donations, grants and capital reserves, with no additional burden placed on the taxpayer.

“The skies the limit,” Keller said.

Also on Tuesday, the Port Washington Public Library’s budget proposal passed by 553 to 73.

The library’s $7.34 million budget for 2016-17 calls for a 1.35 percent  increase in spending of $100,000. 

The budget consists of a 1.39 percent tax levy increase, which library officials said is within the state-mandated tax cap. 

“We have carefully reviewed each item in order to find savings where possible, without reducing the services that our community expects and deserves,” Board President Robert Aitken said at a meeting held at the Port Washington Public Library on March 16. 

Officials said the increase in expenses in the budget include $50,00 for salaries and $15,000 for security. 

Library Director Nancy Curtin said the increases in salaries are required under the library workers’ contract with the library.

The increase in security, she said, is to meet state security requirements.

Other expenses include library materials and operations, building operations, repairs, equipment and debt service, she said. 

“We try our best to be as accurate in our budget planning as possible,” Curtin said. “But it is a plan and things change throughout the year.”

The proposed budget also includes new software purchases, including eBooks.

“As we know the way people read, the way people research is changing,” Curtin said. 

Most of the revenue in the budget is from property taxes, making up more than $7.1 million of the proposed budget. 

Other sources are from payments in lieu of taxes, interest, local sources of revenue such as fines and fees, and state sources such as grants, officials said.

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