Library 'surplus' funds trickle in

MATAWAN — The Borough Council recently passed a resolution accepting the return of unused library funds, with the hope of defraying rising budgetary costs in the small municipality.

"[I]n response to the requests by the municipalities, [the board of trustees for the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library] voted to transfer back to the municipalities the total sum of $275,000," states a resolution adopted by the Borough of Matawan at the May 19 Borough Council meeting.

"We accepted the library board's offer which was memorialized in a resolution at our last council meeting," Matawan Mayor Paul Buccellato said. "We have accepted it and will not seek additional funds."

The councils of both municipalities asked the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library to return unused funds to help offset tax increases to fund the 2009 municipal operating budgets.

The two towns' jointly run library was asked to return half of each municipality's yearly contribution in order to lessen the blow to taxpayers during tough economic times.

According to officials from both towns, for the fiscal year 2009, Aberdeen would be responsible for approximately $733,000 and Matawan would be chipping in $361,000 toward the library's operation.

The municipalities received less than half of what was requested, with Matawan receiving $90,598 of the library's unused funds and Aberdeen garnering the rest, approximately $184,000.

According to Susan Pike, director of the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library, the library's board of trustees approved the transfer of $275,000 back to Matawan Borough and Aberdeen Township.

"The board of trustees voted at the May 6 meeting to transfer back $275,000," Pike explained. "Both towns passed resolutions accepting the money, but [Aberdeen] requested a meeting with the finance committee."

Pike said she expected Aberdeen Township to request additional funds from the library's unused money.

"I have made a formal request on behalf of the Aberdeen Township Council for a meeting of the Matawan-Aberdeen Library Finance Subcommittee with the Aberdeen Township Council Library Sub-Committee," said Joseph Criscuolo, Aberdeen Township manager. "The purpose of the meeting is to better understand the financial situation of the library as we consider the fund transfer issue."

Both Pike and Criscuolo said a date for a meeting with the library's finance committee has not yet been set.

"The library is currently working on responding to the strategic plan, which was passed in March," Pike said. "We had planned on using the funds to reach the goals of the strategic plan."

According to Pike, some of those goals included additional operating hours and the installation of a new elevator.

Having what some might call a surplus, the library had set unused funds aside for a capital campaign, Pike had explained at a Feb. 26 meeting addressing the matter.

Aberdeen officials previously estimated the library had a surplus of approximately $800,000, in addition to the $1.1 million that both municipalities fund each year to run the library.

Pike said returning the funds has halted some of the library's efforts at revamping services for residents.

"It has stopped us from moving forward," she said.