Photo by Sanja Gjenero via morgueFile.com
The Randall Town Board is opposed to contributing to the purchase of a Community Library branch building in Silver Lake.
That leaves none of the four member municipalities besides Silver Lake willing to help pay for the $250,000 purchase and renovation cost.
Randall Town Board members discussed the issue Thursday night at a regular monthly meeting. No member expressed any interest in using additional tax dollars for the building purchase.
Town Chairman Bob Stoll said in his opinion, town taxpayers already send enough money to the Community Library system.
“My feeling is that we spend tax in excess of what we tax for fire protection and lake ordinance enforcement” on the library, Stoll said. “I am not a proponent of spending additional funds on it …”
Silver Lake had asked the other municipalities involved in the Community Library system to donate $50,000 each toward the purchase and renovation of a building for a library branch in the village. Recently, Twin Lakes and Paddock Lake have decided not to contribute. Salem town electors authorized the Salem Town Board to contribute $50,000 to the cost of the library building and renovations, but board members recently discussed the issue and decided they are not ready to complete that contribution at this time.
The library building has been controversial in Silver Lake, where some Village Board members challenged how the purchase was completed and even asked the District Attorney to investigate. The investigation found no criminal wrong doing.
As the conversion of the former day care business into a library has been stalled while the funding issue plays out, Silver Lake is considering leasing the property to Riverview School this summer as office space while extensive renovations take place at the school.
On Wednesday, Silver Lake President Sue Gerber said she has met with Riverview School district administrator Jon Schleusner about leasing the library building for school administration operations this summer while the school building is undergoing renovations. She said the school board is expected to discuss the possible arrangement at this Monday’s school board meeting.
Another bad decision by the Silver Lake Village Board. You cost the tax payers $250,000.00. I can not wait to vote Sue Gerber out in April.
Not to worry folks, Silver Lake residents, who are now footing the $250,000 “loan” payments by themselves on their tax bill, will now have their school taxes help pay for the building via leasing it to Riverview school. A “win-win” for everyone(if you don’t live in Silver Lake). Salem…still thinking about cutting that check for $50 grand? I commend Mr. Stoll and the Randall Town Board for their fiscal awareness.
Let’s not forget folks, here in Silver Lake, we refer to the “library” building as the Gerber/Faber White Elephant Memorial Library building. Now that Riverview school is going to start “leasing” the building, both our school taxes and our village taxes will go towards paying off the $250,000+ “loan” that People’s Bank has so graciously agreed to provide to us. Kind of like “robbing Peter to pay Paul”. Will be interesting to see if Sue Gerber lists the library acquisition as one of her “accomplishments” as village president on her campaign brochures. Right under the “ethics violation/investigation”.
I find it ironic that while Riverview School is about to begin “extensive renovations” to their facility, we have not spent 10 cents of the $50,000 “loan money” that was targeted to renovate the “library” building. Maybe we could at least wash the windows before the new “tenants” move in~
Why do we expect other municipalities to help pay for this? Salem has a library, twin Lakes has a library, Riverview School has a library. Wilmot High has a library Who doesn’t have the Internet in their home? I say sell the building!
Bob Stoll is only fiscally aware when it comes to keeping tax dalliers for his fire dept.