Victoria T. Brown
10 Springbriar Lane
Kings Park NY 11754
631-721-6421
September 2, 2008
Editor
The Times of Smithtown
P. O. Box 707
Setauket NY 11733
Re: The Smithtown Special Library District
Editor:
The current battle at the Smithtown Library is over whether to move the offices of the Smithtown Library Director and his administration to the new Nesconset branch after it is constructed. While the immediate cost factor of such a move is debatable, there will be a much greater long-term financial impact on Smithtown Library District taxpayers.
The library director and a majority of the library trustees have an agenda to make the Nesconset branch the “main” building of the Smithtown Library System. Shifting the administration of the library to Nesconset will make it necessary to hold library board meetings in the Nesconset building.
The Nesconset branch library building, to be constructed on the border of the Towns of Smithtown and Islip, will be so inconveniently located, that it will cost many residents $5 in gas just to travel there. This cost may be expensive considering that library district residents will have to start saving up to pay for the $39 per year building bond cost plus average tax increases of at least $15 to $25 per year. Residents, be prepared for a minimum library tax increase of $55 on your December 2008 property tax bills if the library budget passes on October 14.
Once the Smithtown Library Board of Trustees shifts its meetings to Nesconset, it will be very easy for board members to conduct business while keeping most Smithtown Library District residents in the dark, especially with regard to library spending and planned future tax increases.
Very truly yours,
Victoria T. Brown