Library Vote Information

Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit:

RESOLVED, that pursuant to Education Law, Section 259, the Board of Education of the Southwestern Central School District is authorized to levy and collect an annual tax, year after year, separate and apart from the annual school district budget, in the amount of $256,000, of which $175,000 shall be paid to the Lakewood Memorial Library for the support and maintenance of that library and $81,000 of which shall be paid to the Hazeltine Public Library for the support and maintenance of that library; with this appropriated amount to be the annual appropriation until thereafter modified by a future vote of the electors of the Southwestern Central School District.

You can vote on this proposition at the same time and location as the annual school budget vote on May 21, 2024 from 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 2:00-8:00 p.m. in the Southwestern High School Multipurpose Room. 

To register to vote, visit the Chautauqua County Board of Elections website https://chqgov.com/board-of-elections/Voter-Registration-Form. Complete the form and return it directly to their office.

To be considered a qualified voter of the district, you must be:

1. a citizen of the United States of America
2. eighteen years of age or older
3. a resident within the district for a period of thirty days preceding the annual meeting and election, and
4. not otherwise disqualified from voting in school district elections

For more information on the school district election, visit https://www.swcsk12.org/domain/298.

2024 Budgeted Revenue

• Local revenue from school district taxpayers        $139,000
• Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System                 $7,400
• Donations, grants, and memorials                           $24,000
• Fundraising                                                              $30,000
• Charges for copies, printing, and faxes                     $1,800
• Book sale and other receipts                                     $2,725 
• Transfers from investment account                          $15,000
• Total revenue                                                        $219,925

2024 Budgeted Expenditures

• Staff wages                                  $134,261
• Taxes/Benefits/Insurance              $21,726
• Library materials                            $28,000
• Utilities/Property maintenance       $17,464
• Office supplies and equipment        $3,400
• Programs                                         $4,600
• Accountant                                       $3,600
• Fundraising                                      $3,850
• Miscellaneous                                  $3,024
• Total expenditures                     $219,925

No, the library does not receive any funding from the Town or the Village.

Recent minimum wage increases and inflation have strained the budget, and there are multiple upcoming increases to the minimum wage. In order to support library operations into the future, the library is requesting an increase from $139,000 to $175,000 annually.  The library has not sought an increase since the initial 259 approval in 2018 despite multiple crises, inflation, and rising costs.  

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-reminds-new-yorkers-upcoming-minimum-wage-increase#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20the%20FY,%240.50%20in%202025%20and%202026

The proposed increase will be approximately 7 to 8 cents per $1,000 assessed value, depending on the location of your property. For a property in Busti assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.96. For a property in Ellicott assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.10. For a property in Harmony assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.52.

Use the calculator below to find out how much your total library tax bill will be should the proposition pass (note: this is the full amount that will show on your 2025 school tax bill, including the proposed increase):