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Deep River trustees and residents urge town to restore proposed $40,000 library cut
Summary
At a June 8 meeting, trustees and several residents warned that a proposed $40,000 cut to the Deep River Public Library’s salary line would imperil services and possibly the building’s status; trustees will present options and request the full amount be returned at the June 9 town meeting.
At their June 8 meeting, the Deep River Public Library Board of Trustees and several residents appealed to town leaders to restore a proposed $40,000 cut to the library’s salary line, saying the reduction would threaten essential services and long‑term viability.
Lesley Rowe, a taxpayer who works one day a week at the library, told trustees she would give up her hours if cuts prevail and warned that ‘‘if [the] cut happens we would never get it back,’’ saying some donors required the building be used specifically for library purposes and that closing could risk relinquishing the facility. Tracy Sacrey, also a taxpayer, echoed Rowe’s concerns. Allen Houston called cutting the library ‘‘one of the most pathetic things a town can do,’’ saying the library draws people to town and provides services used by children, seniors and low‑income residents.
Trustee Donna Mingrone called the meeting to order and said the Board is preparing to present information at the June 9 town meeting but would not endorse a single reduction scenario. Library Director Susan Rooney gathered data and created three possible reduction scenarios showing the effects of various cuts; the Board intends to ask voters or town leaders to restore the full $40,000 rather than select a particular scenario. Rooney said the Board will highlight specifics taxpayers should know when the trustees speak at the town meeting.
Rooney also reported on operations: the library will use the final approximately $800 in its Citizens account for end‑of‑fiscal‑year purchases, and the library plans to switch its digital vendor—Bibliomation will replace Hoopla this summer. The change will give patrons access to many more ebooks and audiobooks but will eliminate the TV shows and movies that Hoopla provided; trustees framed the change as a cost‑savings step amid the constrained program budget.
The minutes record that May minutes could not be approved because there was no quorum and that no formal votes were taken on budget items. On a motion and second, the Trustees voted unanimously to adjourn at 7:25 p.m. Minutes are subject to approval at the next meeting.
The trustees’ next scheduled action is to present the researched scenarios and supporting data at the June 9 town meeting; the board will consider approving May minutes at the August meeting, and the Code of Conduct discussion was rescheduled for August after further review of HR and town‑attorney feedback.
