Although no official word has been received from the Copake Town Board, I understand that Councilman Tompkins has initiated a petition to de-fund the library. This would be a tremendous disservice to the growing number of citizens of Copake – both young and old – who have increasingly taken advantage of the library’s wonderful resources in these difficult times. It is particularly unfortunate that Councilman Tompkins would make such a proposal at a time when a new state-of-the-art library is under construction – in Copake. Most municipalities celebrate their libraries and recognize their critically important role in the community, and I hope that the Town of
In 1994, the voters of Copake overwhelmingly voted to fix the town’s contribution to the Roe-Jan Library at $37,500, matching, in per capita terms, the amount paid by taxpayers in Hillsdale. Despite rising costs, that amount has remained constant for five years. It amounts to just over $6.50 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, or $12 per parcel, a little more than a quarter of what we pay for our police force, and less than we pay for the salaries of the town board and its accountant(s).
Thanks to our many volunteers and private donors, the Roeliff-Jansen Community Library is one of the least costly within the sixty-six libraries in the mid-Hudson area, yet it ranks very high in cardholders and circulation. Last month alone, more than 2000 people visited our cramped old library in Hillsdale.
In hard times such as these, the library grows in importance as a resource for job seekers and those who can no longer afford their own internet services, movies and books. It would be tragic if—just as we are nearing completion of our new building in Copake—we would be forced to drastically cut our operating hours and services.
Mr. Tompkins and his family may not the library, but I would hope that he and other members of the council appreciate its importance to those who do. It has been a long time since I have used a town playground—an item that receives the same tax levy contribution as the library in the budget-- but I recognize its value to those who do and would hate to see our play areas eliminated. I would urge the councilman and his colleagues to accord the same respect to those who value computers and books. Mr. Tompkins petition is unwise and almost certainly illegal for reasons I would have been happy to explain had he accorded us the courtesy of asking our advice.
