Budget Information

2023 Annual Meeting, Budget Vote & Trustee Election RESULTS

2023 Letter to the Community

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." – Coretta Scott King

In 2022 the library experienced many challenges with the retirements and departures of beloved employees. The resiliency, patience and kindness of staff during this transition have been truly remarkable. The staff worked together to ensure that our services to the commu­nity remained uninterrupted. Finding new employees that fit into our culture of dedication and service to the community took some time, but we added talented people to our team!

2022 was highlighted by our commitment to fiscal responsibility, com­munity engagement and social well-being. We continue to strengthen our partnerships with the Harborfields Central School District, local organizations and outreach services within the community. Library staff and teen volunteers maintained two garden plots at the Robert Kubecka Memorial Organic Garden with the produce from the garden going to a local food pantry. Working with the Harborfields High School Key Club allowed us to establish a Little Free Pantry that was installed at the Library to assist members of the community that may be experiencing food insecurity. Recognizing that we are part of a sustainable ecosystem, we encourage and support various recycling programs and make every attempt to reduce our carbon footprint.

We collaborated with Washington Drive Elementary on a Sensory Garden and Little Free Library. Our ongoing program with Students in Transition at Oldfield Middle School and the High School Career Training program is a continuing success. Donation drives for many organizations including the Little Shelter, Family Service League and Harborfields Alliance for Community Outreach (HACO) run almost year round. Our quarterly Blood Drives in cooperation with the New York Blood Center always surpass expected donations. The generosity of our community is truly amazing!

Our large community events returned in 2022. Record numbers of friends and neighbors attended our Outdoor Craft and Flea Market, outdoor concert, outdoor movie, Great Giveaway and the Fall Craft Fair. The return of the Longest Table Event, run by our incredible Friends of the Harborfields Library and the Greenlawn Civic Association was one of the highlights of the summer. Library programming is back and bigger than ever!

Our programs, customer service, safety and building maintenance is unmatched. A public library is a service industry - our strength lies in the people who work here. It is their dedication that makes Harborfields Public Library what it is. We believe that we can continue our high standards of service and adapt to the ever changing needs of our community with an overall tax increase of 0.98%.

As always, thank you to the entire Harborfields Community for your support and we look forward to another year of working with you!

Sincerely,
Ryan Athanas, Library Director
Linda Meglio, Assistant Library Director

Budget Hearing & Annual Report

There will be a Budget Hearing and Annual Report Presentation on Thursday, March 23 at 7:00 PM, followed by the regularly scheduled Board Meeting at 7:30 PM.

2023 Annual Meeting, Budget Vote & Trustee Election

The Annual Meeting of the Harborfields Public Library will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 2:30 PM in the Library.

The Budget Vote and Trustee Election will be held immediately following, from 3:00 - 9:00 PM.

Absentee Ballot Applications

Absentee Ballot Applications are available at the Harborfields Public Library Reference Desk and online below .

A completed Absentee Ballot Application must be received by Tuesday, April 4, 2023 if you would like a ballot mailed to you, the voter.

A completed Absentee Ballot Application must be received by Monday, April 10, 2023 if you are dropping off your application at the library between 10 AM and 5 PM in the library’s Business Office and are receiving the ballot in person, at the library, from the Acting District Clerk.

Upon approval of the application, an absentee ballot will be issued. All absentee ballots must be received in official envelopes at the Library by 5 PM on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 in order to be counted. No e-mailed ballots will be accepted.

Trustee Election

In addition to the vote on the proposed operating budget, there will be an election for the position on the Library Board of Trustees presently held by Jennifer Shore. This position has a five-year term of office, beginning on July 1st, 2023 and expiring on June 30th, 2028.

In order to run for election for this position, these procedures must be followed:
1. Candidates for the trustee positions must be residents of the Harborfields School District and may only be nominated by petition, which shall be directed to the Clerk of the School District.
2. Petitions must be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the School District and shall state the residence of each signer, as well as the name and residence of the candidate.
3. The petition must describe the specific vacancy on the Library Board for which the candidate is seeking nomination, including the length of the term of office and the name of the last incumbent.
4. Each petition shall be filed with the Clerk of the School District no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, March 13, 2023. Forms for the petition may be obtained at the Harborfields Public Library Reference Desk.

Budget

The Proposed 2023-2024 Budget will be printed in the March newsletter and budget flyers will be distributed on February 24th