Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cook Memorial Library trustees approve 2026 budget draft and two warrant articles for town vote
Summary
Trustees approved the library's 2026 draft budget and voted to place two warrant articles on the town ballot: a $316,606 operating budget with specified funding sources and a $6,000 appropriation to replace the basement furnace.
Allie Kaplan-Thompson, board chair of the Cook Memorial Library Board of Trustees, presided as trustees approved the library's Draft 5 budget for 2026 and voted to place two warrant articles on the town ballot.
The board approved a warrant article that would raise a total of $316,606 for the library in 2026. The draft warrant specifies $43,768 to come from the Library Fund, $18,764 from donations, $2,000 from library fees, $1,600 from grants, and $250,474 to be raised through taxation. The trustees also approved a separate warrant to raise $6,000 to replace the basement furnace.
Library Director Mary Cronin reviewed changes from previous drafts, saying salary line items had been adjusted to cover vacations and carryover funds were finalized; she also noted the town appropriation was $7,000 lower than an earlier draft. Kristel Faris moved to approve the budget draft; Betsy Loughran seconded and the motion passed.
On the warrant articles, Sherryl Hitte moved to submit the operating budget language to the town warrant and Eleanor Aparicio seconded; the board approved the motion. Kristel Faris moved to submit the furnace replacement warrant and Betsy Loughran seconded; that motion also passed.
Trustees framed the warrant language to identify funding sources and left further fiscal implementation under the board's direction. No formal roll-call vote tally by individual trustee was recorded in the minutes; motions and seconders were recorded and each motion was noted as approved.
The trustees also received notice of $1,917.91 in trust-fund income reported by Robert Seston, Trustee of the Trust Funds, and accepted $734.70 in unanticipated income (an unrestricted donation of $534.00 and copier/printer/fax fees of $200.70). The board directed finance and policy committees to follow up on investment and procedural questions related to trust funds.
The board will present the approved warrant language to the town for inclusion on the 2026 ballot. The meeting record shows the trustees completed these approvals during their Jan. 12 session and adjourned at 7:26 p.m.
