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Nevins Library director announces retirement; municipal funding request rises with utilities and HVAC needs
Summary
Nevins Library officials said higher utility bills and building maintenance — notably a needed HVAC renovation — drive the proposed FY2026 municipal request, and the library director announced retirement effective next February.
The Nevins Library presented its municipal budget request to the council and the library director announced plans to retire next February, saying it would be the director's final municipal budget workshop.
The library director told councilors the library's requested municipal appropriation for FY2026 is $1,899,340. The budget reflects several cost pressures: utilities (especially electric) that rose sharply after the loss of prior utility credits, higher equipment-maintenance costs to support roughly 85 computers, building-maintenance work tied to an HVAC renovation and an increase in circulating-materials spending to meet the state minimum needed to qualify for state aid. "We have to spend this year $227,000 on municipal materials," the director said, explaining the state requires a minimum percentage of municipal appropriation to be spent on materials to receive library state aid.
The director also announced a personal retirement: "I will be retiring in February," the director said, calling the workshop the last municipal budget presentation they would make. Councilors thanked the director and praised library staff and volunteers for literacy programs and community outreach.
Councilors asked few substantive budget questions and applauded the library's management of volunteers and state-aid compliance. The council did not vote on the appropriation at the workshop; any final action will come during formal budget deliberations.
