Hendrick Hudson Free Library asks to appear on May 20 ballot; trustees outline modest levy increase

Kevin Quigley, president of the Hendrick Hudson Free Library Board of Trustees, told the Hendrick Hudson Board of Education on March 5 that the library’s proposed 2025–26 budget should appear as a separate proposition on the district’s May 20 ballot and described usage and program figures he said support the request.

Quigley said the library served “every 1 of the over 86,000 people who came through the doors last year” and highlighted services including passport processing, study-room use and 1,200 programs offered in 2024. He told the board the library’s proposal includes a 3.9% levy increase — which the library described as about a $54,000 rise compared with last year — and characterized the budget-to-budget increase as “less than 1%.” The trustees asked the district to list the library’s proposition as a separate item on the May 20 ballot.

Why it matters: the library is a separate taxing district proposition that appears on the school ballot in many localities. The board’s action to place the library request on the ballot lets voters decide whether to approve the library levy increase that would fund programs and services the trustees described.

What the library told the board: Quigley and other trustees described program and patron metrics the library uses to justify the budget request: hundreds of community programs annually, public computer and charging stations, after‑school homework help for K–5, museum‑pass lending, and plans to add soundproof booths and additional outdoor and exhibit amenities. Quigley said 38% of circulation was digital and the library processed about 600 passports in the last year.

Board action: during the meeting a board member moved and a second was recorded to put the Hendrick Hudson Free Library proposition on the May 20, 2025 ballot; the motion passed by voice vote. The board chair clarified that the library proposition will appear as a separate proposition from the school district budget.

Next steps: placement on the May 20 ballot sends the question to district voters; the transcript records the trustees’ presentation but does not include the library’s final adopted budget document or the precise ballot language. The library indicated state and local aid calculations and per‑taxpayer cost estimates in its remarks; specific tax‑rate calculations will be determined following final district and town assessments.