WHITEFIELD — Service versus savings.
That’s the debate in Whitefield these days.
The Whitefield Public Library has requested a 98% budget increase (from $49,625 to $98,400) in order to add staff, expand hours, boost programming, and meet growing demand.
However, under pressure from cash strapped residents, the Select Board countered with a lesser 32 percent increase (to $65,000) for the sake of taxpayer relief.
Both sides will make their case at the next board meeting on Monday night.
DIFFERING VIEWS
Part-time WPL director Courtney Vashaw said the 180-year-old library has historically been underfunded.
Last year Whitefield Public Library accounted for 1.4 percent of the overall municipal budget and received half as much as libraries in surrounding communities.
Doubling the library’s budget would have a minimal tax impact (14 cents per $1,000) and would not overburden taxpayers, Vashaw said.
“[The Select Board is] trying to reduce the overall tax burden, which I completely understand. But we are a pretty small drop in the bucket,” she said.
She said the Select Board proposal did not go far enough.
“The selectboard cut our request to $65,000. With rising fuel and electric costs, this increase will barely cover keeping the doors open,” she said. “It will not address payroll, books, or supplies at all.”
On the other hand, Select Board Chair Shawn White said the library’s request was not feasible at this time.
Whitefield households have struggled to make ends meet due to inflation impacts, higher fuel and electric costs, sharp increases to water and sewer rates, and rising school spending, he said.
“Everywhere I go, people are looking for relief. People are hurting. People are trying to figure out what they are going to do,” White said, adding, “Whitefield unfortunately is a very elderly population and many of them live paycheck to paycheck.”
FISCAL RESTRAINT
The Select Board expects to put forward a level service budget and minimal spending articles, in order to secure Town Meeting approval and reduce the tax rate nearly nine percent.
For that reason, the board has trimmed budget requests from multiple departments — library, recreation and highway — to offset contractual spending and benefits increases, as well as higher fuel and supply costs.
White and fellow Selectmen John Tholl said the board needed to be extra cautious with this year’s budget.
They pointed to a few key reasons why: Whitefield’s local education tax rate would increase $3.06 per $1,000 under the proposed school budget, its sewer system users were hit with a 40 percent rate increase to pay off an $8.49 million treatment plant project, and everyone in town is coping with cost of living increases.
“Libraries are a good thing, but we need to make decisions on where to spend a limited amount of money,” said Tholl. “It just doesn’t seem appropriate to [double] the library budget when there are other things people need to buy instead of paying taxes.”
White noted that 25 percent of Whitefield’s estimated 2,500 residents are age 65 and over, and many live on fixed incomes.
“Unfortunately, Whitefield has a very elderly population and they live paycheck to paycheck,” White said.
Board members pointed out that the library “is still getting a significant increase” under their plan.
“There’s not one of us that doesn’t support the library,” White said. “But we’re trying to hold the line as much as we can.”
COMMUNITY NEED
The proposed library budget would allow WPL to provide a full-service library, open at least 40 hours over six days each week during the summer and 30+ hours and five days a week during the other seasons.
Notably, it would make key staffing changes.
First, it would shift a full-time, grant-funded program manager to the town payroll. The town would provide a more stable and sustainable funding source for the pivotal position, library officials said.
Second, the draft budget would create a second part-time position to assist WPL director Courtney Vashaw (who is also part-time). It would lessen the library’s reliance on a shrinking volunteer pool and ensure that library shifts are covered.
Until now, Vashaw said, WPL employees and volunteers have put in countless unpaid hours to maintain library operations.
“I make $17 an hour and get paid for 15 hours a week, but trust me, I put in far more than that. I give away literally tens of thousands of dollars worth of my time every year, and the library and the town benefit from this,” Vashaw said, noting that her compensation would be unchanged in the proposed budget. “To be clear, I am not looking for a personal raise. I can’t work full time. However, this is about hiring and retaining the best staff, offering sufficient programming and resources, and taking care of our historic building. It is about thinking and budgeting for the future and realizing our community has needs.”
Whitefield public library relied on grant writing, community partnerships, reserve funds, and donations of time, supplies, money and equipment to cover a $25,000 shortfall in 2022.
“Our current level of funding literally causes people to gasp and laugh out loud,” Vashaw said. “We don’t have enough staff, the staff we did have aren’t paid enough, nor do we have benefits. Not one of us is a certified librarian. Our ability to work at the library is subsidized by our partners’ benefits. The building is in disrepair. Our granting agencies have made it very clear that the town needs to budget more sustainably.”
The proposal to double the library budget would allow WPL to keep pace with demand.
Whitefield Public Library has evolved into a multi-faceted community hub serving thousands of residents and visitors each year.
That shift accelerated during COVID-19. A growing number of people have used the library’s broadband connection to apply for work, interview for jobs, connect with social services, and access telehealth.
Last summer the library welcomed more than 70 patrons per day during peak times, had 2,300 visits for youth and adult programming and distributed 1,200 free lunches through the New Hampshire Food Bank.
“To move backward in any way, by reducing hours or staffing, would be a tragedy,” Vashaw said. “Any community that does not have this needs to ask why their citizens are less worthy of this resource being available to them. The buildings are in place. The utilities are being paid. There is no reason these resources shouldn’t be available to all.
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