The case supporting the proposal

Director, Monroe Free Library MONROE-On Tuesday, June 21, Monroe voters have the opportunity to improve and enrich our community by approving a much-needed new library and municipal center. This is a plan with BUILT-IN cost savings through a joint partnership between the library and Town of Monroe. We are, quite literally "sharing to save" taxpayers on the cost of this building. Please consider: 1. The need for a new library is unquestioned. The Town's growth and our residents' passion for education have rendered the current library completely out-of-date. Parking is horrendous. Town offices, too, are woefully overcrowded. 2. The proposed site, off Route 208, is already owned by you, our residents. This represents a cost savings of probably AT LEAST $2 million, and the property has already been approved for this building project. 3. The project is the product of a year's worth of development and represents a significant compromise (and scaling back) of the original plan. Three of the five Town Board members actively support this project and helped to create it. According to Lori Currier Woods, Monroe Town Councilperson, "Combining the library with a town hall makes good financial sense. The building committee has worked hard to make sure this project will address important needs of the community without overburdening the taxpayer. 4. With inflation and increasing construction costs, future prices can only rise. We want to lock in a low interest rate TODAY. 5. The Town and library are in a strong financial position. The library has no current debt and our current building is appraised at $525,000. 6. No one likes to pay taxes. But the average homeowner (three bedrooms, two baths) will pay $8 a month for this project — a relatively modest cost for the value that this new library and municipal center will provide. Think of the possibilities this offers for our children, our seniors, our students and all residents of this Town. 7. We have already studied the impact of this project on our future budgets and our Trustees have pledged to remain fiscally conservative, as we have demonstrated in the past. After all, the library literally represents just a fraction (4 percent) of your total tax bill, and will continue to be this way. 8. Two of our Town Board members will tell you that this project is too expensive and that future budgets will spiral out-of-control. This is a scare tactic. We believe that proper investment in key facilities like our library actually promote investment in the Town, improve property values, and give our residents great service. That's why you pay taxes, right? To get services. If you normally vote outside of the Village of Kiryas Joel, you will be voting at the Senior Center, 101 Mine Road (call the library at 783-4411 for directions or visit our Web site at www.monroelibrary.org). If you normally vote inside the Village of Kiryas Joel, you will vote at the Kiryas Joel Medical Building, 49 Forest Road. Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at both locations.