Council approves $1,000 temporary allocation to Paul Smith Library as branch negotiations continue

The Borough of New Freedom council voted to release a $1,000 allocation to Paul Smith Library while the library and Mason Dixon Library negotiate terms to become branches of the York County Library System. Council members said they expect the libraries’ hours will decrease under the county system and said donors want assurances that local donations will be supplemental — not used to offset county or state funding.

Borough officials reported that Buck Buchanan and local library boards have asked county commissioners to negotiate protections so that municipal donations remain with the branch that receives them and do not reduce the county’s baseline funding. Borough Manager Andrew Schaeffer said the county had provided a statutory 45-day notice and given libraries until the end of the year to resolve operational details; council members said the transition should be resolved before the end of December.

During discussion, residents and council members asked whether donations must be designated to a specific branch and whether an account for local donations exists. Staff said a Friends group and the local librarian maintain library donation accounts, and that municipalities should specify that donations be designated for Paul Smith Library so county allocations cannot be offset. Council members instructed staff to raise these concerns in the scheduled meeting with county commissioners.

The council approved the $1,000 release by voice vote. Members also considered a separate request for a statement of clarification about a borough newsletter item and voted that the newsletter wording was accurate as written.