FULTON, NY – One vote could mean the difference for Fulton Public Library’s request for an additional $50,000 in operating money. That same vote could mean the difference in a sizeable affect on services at the library.After the close of polls Tuesday evening, the school district counted 543 votes in favor of the library’s proposition request and 544 opposed. Six challenge votes that are out could affect the result if included in the totals, according to school officials.
Marion Stanton, head of the library’s board of trustees, said she is hopeful that the result will overturn today and that the changes that would result if it doesn’t will not have to happen.
“It is not over until it’s over,” Stanton said Tuesday evening. “I am hopeful it will change but I don’t know where the votes are that are being contested. … I am hopeful that (today) will look better and that the numbers will reverse.”
Challenge votes represent people who turned out to vote who were not included in the rolls. Superintendent Bill Lynch said that the voters have to be verified before their votes can be included in the totals. That process is expected to begin this morning.
If the six votes are included in the total, Lynch said the challenge votes could affect the outcome for the library vote.
“I don’t want to think about the cut backs that we will have to make and the services that the community counts on that will have to be reduced if it doesn’t change,” Stanton said. “But that is what we would have to do.”
Stanton noted that the changes would be immediate and be implemented after Memorial Day.
“We’ve been running with less money without any cuts in services,” Stanton said. “We just can’t do that anymore. The writing is on the wall.
“We would have to reduce hours substantially, by nearly half, right away,” she said. “That is certainly not what I hope for. It is not what I wanted.”
Stanton pointed out that she can understand why some voters rejected the request. She noted that the proposition itself asked flatly for $90,000 for the library, instead of pointing out that it was a $50,000 request in additional money from the level of support that district residents already provide.
“I don’t think that actually stated the question accurately,” she said.
“I certainly don’t think that the people who are using the services are the ones who voted ‘no,'” Stanton added. “They voted ‘yes.’ I am disappointed but if that is the way this stands, we will have to retrench and get by the best we can.
“Hopefully (today) will bring better news or we will be making changes that we really don’t want to make,” she said.
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I voted No yesterday, I hope it was my vote that made the differance. To bad the same thing didn’t happen to the school budget.
What a sad day it is to have someone celebrate the defeat of something as pure and vital as books and services provided by our local Library.
If the Library vote for more funding is defeated I would encourage all those that value and support our local Library to show your support by donating to the Library’s ongoing fundraising efforts. The increase in funds collected by the school district for the library would have amounted to only a few dollars for each household. It is far easier to knock down a tax increase, but it takes a far better person to put their support behind something as important as our public library. If only people’s energy to be negative was poured into helping finding a solution to the problem what a different community and world we would have.
When the district held the public hearing I was there and I do not recall anyone standing up at that meeting and voicing their opposition to the budget, not to mention offering any different ways to fund our schools. Best of luck to those at the Library and hope that they are able to overcome this slight bump in the road.
Hopefully
David Carvey
My husband and I both voted “yes” on the library request and we are 2 voters who voted on paper ballots. Although we are, and have been registered voters forever, our names were inadvertently left off the rolls at Lanigan. I hope we will make a difference in favor of the library when these votes are counted.