The board of trustees of the Belgrade Public Library urges the voters to Belgrade to vote yes on Article 4 this Friday, March 15. A “yes” vote is required to keep the library open. If the article is defeated, the library will close, services that residents depend on, including Wi-fi, book borrowing, resource exchanges and computer time will be lost, and a devoted town employee of almost 10 years will lose his position.

Last year the voters of Belgrade voted to increase the hours of the library, which made the library director position full-time. This year’s budget reflects the additional money allotted for the change. Except for mandatory increases because of the increase of the minimum wage, nothing else was increased in the library’s operating budget.

The library budget was passed unanimously by both the Budget Committee and the Board of Selectpersons as printed in the 2019 Town of Belgrade Warrant.

Following the resignation of Janet Patterson, Belgrade library director of the past five years, the board of trustees and the town manager are actively recruiting a new library director. The board anticipates filling this position in the near future. While Belgrade has a smaller year-round population, the number of summer residents nearly doubles the visitors to the library. If the library budget is defeated, there will not be any summer programs or services this year.

Lastly, the library was not involved in the petition submitted to the select board shortly after the November election or the select board’s decision on it.

Please keep the Belgrade Public Library open by voting yes on Article 4.

Barbara Allen

Dianne Dowd

Duane Farnham

Maureen Milliken
members, Belgrade library board of trustees

Loyce Haslett
former trustee