Library trustees warn of possible decertification as council weighs budget reallocation

At the start of the meeting the Bridgewater Public Library trustees presented a statement warning that the library faces an imminent risk of decertification by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners unless the town addresses personnel funding shortfalls.

Matthew Garretson, who said he is a member of the Board of Library Trustees, read the board’s adopted statement and summarized the board’s position: the trustees will support proposals they judge likely to prevent or reduce the chance of MBLC decertification. The statement, the trustees said, endorses short-term measures that include using remaining state aid for personnel costs, appropriating funds from town reserves to support personnel, and accepting directed gifts from community donors as stopgap measures. The trustees cautioned that such measures “represent short-term solutions” and cannot guarantee avoidance of decertification absent full funding in a future fiscal year.

Town Manager Justin told the council the administration remains committed to positioning the town to seek a waiver and will recommend a transfer that moves funds from an expense line to a salary line — a format the MBLC prefers — while stressing there are no guarantees. The council referred Order OFY27009, a proposed transfer reallocating library budget lines to bolster salary funding, to the Budget & Finance committee for further review.

Why it matters: Decertification by the MBLC would cause the town to lose state library aid and could affect services and hours. The trustees asked the council to consider multiple short-term actions while working on longer-term budget solutions.

Next steps: Budget & Finance will review the transfer order and report back to the council; trustee and community fundraising efforts are ongoing.