2024 Library Budget Vote Q & A

When will the library vote be held?

The vote will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2024, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the library’s H. Dutcher Community Room. Information about absentee ballots is available from the Library District Clerk, at 518-584-7860, or at the library between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. At 7 p.m. on Monday, April 8th, there will be a public hearing on the proposed budget in the H. Dutcher Community Room.

Who can vote?

Any Saratoga Springs City School District resident who is a registered voter is eligible to vote.

What are we voting for?

• Budget: The public will be voting on a proposition to collect $5,363,013 in school district property taxes in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 to operate the Saratoga Springs Public Library. This is a 1.5% increase over FY2023-24.
• Trustee: There are no vacant Library Trustee seats during this election cycle.

What happens if the budget doesn’t pass?

Unlike public school budgets, the law does not allow for any changes if the budget is defeated, and unless the library board decides to hold a second budget vote (highly unlikely), the library would still receive the same amount appropriated in FY 2023-2024. Should the proposed budget not pass, the library board will decide what budget lines and services will be reduced or reallocated.

What will be happening in the coming year?

FY2023-24 was another busy year for programs, and we anticipate that attendance at programs for children and seniors, particularly, will continue to grow. Similarly, we anticipate that our efforts to provide library services at locations in the district beyond the library building will expand.

The ways library materials are used continues to change with publishing trends: print books and magazines continue to be borrowed heavily, and use of library-provided electronic resources such as e-books and audiobooks and streaming movies continues to grow. While use of movies and music on disc media continues to be strong, it is declining. We anticipate that our growing “library of things” beyond traditional materials will continue to expand. Budget allocations for these material types reflect these changes.

The new year will also mark the beginning of a new multi-year program of capital improvements addressing the age of the building and reflecting changes in the way spaces within it are used. The first phase of the program will focus on replacing the elevator, improved space for the archival collections of the Saratoga Room, and upgraded and expanded meeting and program spaces.