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Residents, trustees urge Board of Finance to protect Simsbury Public Library funding
Summary
Library trustees and residents submitted letters and spoke at the March 10 meeting urging the Board of Finance to restore or protect library materials and staffing after proposed FY27 reductions and a reallocation of a Business Resource Coordinator position.
Several Simsbury residents and library trustees asked the Board of Finance on March 10 to protect the Simsbury Public Library’s FY2027 budget after the Board of Selectmen’s proposal included cuts to materials, reduced hours, and a reallocation of a Business and Career Center (BCC) coordinator position to a shared half-time role.
Holly McGrath, chair of the Library Board of Trustees, submitted a written letter asking the Board to “fully fund the Simsbury Public Library budget as passed by the Board of Selectmen,” noting the library’s role in education and community connections and warning that cuts to the materials budget would harm circulating collections and services.
Other written comments entered into the record criticized proposed cuts and praised the library’s efficiency. Donald Heymann, via the town’s contact form, wrote that the library "is, arguably, the most important social/cultural/educational institution in Simsbury," and urged the Board to protect the department. Laurie Shinaman noted that material-spending reductions can have an immediate impact on patrons and flagged the importance of the Business and Career Center coordinator role in workforce and small-business support.
The Board of Selectmen and staff said the library budget was developed using a zero-based process this year, and that the reallocated coordinator post is intended to support economic development in coordination with the Town Manager’s Office. Library Director Lisa Miceli told the Board there remains a full-time need at the library and that reducing the position to half time would decrease service to patrons; the Board asked for performance metrics and a job description for the restructured position.
Specific changes in the proposed FY27 library package referenced by commenters include a $23,000 reduction in the materials budget, a proposed 30-minute reduction in weekday evening hours (closing at 8:00 p.m. rather than 8:30 p.m.), a programming-budget reduction arising from an internal analysis, and a salary reclassification for Head of Children’s Services/Deputy Director.
Next steps: The proposed budgets and written comments will be part of the public hearing scheduled for April 7, 2026, where residents can comment further on library funding before the Board of Finance finalizes recommendations.
