Millville Library struggles to stay open
MILLVILLE – The Millville Free Public Library remains open despite a lack of town funding, but for how much longer is the question.
Town Administrator Jennifer M. Callahan said the plan now is to keep the library open two days a week using funds from a special revolving account that had previously been set up for the both the library and the Council on Aging.
“The library director, myself and the chair of the Library Board of Trust- ees have talked about a reduced hours schedule and using revolving accounts to help pay the reduced hours of the library director and some of the staff,” Callahan said. “However, they all understand that once that money runs out there is no more money in the budget.”
“This is not the way to run a certified library into perpetuity,” she said. “It’s a stop gap measure using resources that have been squirreled away in special accounts and used for specific purposes.”
Town officials are working to close a $300,000 deficit and balance the town operating budget. To do that the town has been forced to implement significant cuts in service, including eliminating municipal trash service; closing the Senior Center and laying off all its employees; shutting off 64 percent of the town’s street lights; cutting all stipends; eliminating vacant positions; and reducing town hall department hours.
In May, annual town meeting town voters overwhelmingly passed a town operating budget contingent on the passage of a $1 million Proposition 2½ operational override at a special election June 19, but the override failed. That means the town must now implement significant cuts in service in order to balance this year’s budget.
As for the Millville Free Public Library, the town says it will be zeroing out annual funding for all library personnel. But for now, the facility remains open thanks to the revolving account.
A revolving fund is an account that is segregated from other monies received by a municipality. It remains available to finance an organization’s continuing operations without any fiscal year limitation because the organization replenishes the fund by repaying money used from the account.
Callahan says a similar revolving account for the Council on Aging could help restore limited service at the Senior Center, including senior van transportation for seniors.
“As for the Council on Aging, we have had discussions to see if we can use the special revolving account to maintain crucial services and do something in a capacity that’s limited, including restoring some version of senior van service, flu clinics and fuel assistance,” she said. “My discussions with both the COA and the Library Trustees has been to talk about potential ways we can keep some of the most salient pieces that are important to them with the notion that hopefully we will get back to a normal level of service at some point in the future.”
Callahan said the town will continue to update residents if and when more reductions are made.