Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit:

            RESOLVED, that pursuant to Education Law, Section 259, the Board of Education of the Southwestern Central School District is authorized to levy and collect an annual tax, year after year, separate and apart from the annual school district budget, in the amount of $256,000, of which $175,000 shall be paid to the Lakewood Memorial Library for the support and maintenance of that library and $81,000 of which shall be paid to the Hazeltine Public Library for the support and maintenance of that library; with this appropriated amount to be the annual appropriation until thereafter modified by a future vote of the electors of the Southwestern Central School District.

You can vote on this proposition at the same time and location as the annual school budget vote on May 21, 2024 from 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 2:00-8:00 p.m. in the Southwestern High School Multipurpose Room. 

To register to vote, visit the Chautauqua County Board of Elections website https://chqgov.com/board-of-elections/Voter-Registration-Form. Complete the form and return it directly to their office.

To be considered a qualified voter of the district, you must be:

1. a citizen of the United States of America
2. eighteen years of age or older
3. a resident within the district for a period of thirty days preceding the annual meeting and election, and
4. not otherwise disqualified from voting in school district elections

For more information on the school district election, visit https://www.swcsk12.org/domain/298.

INCOME

                259 aid from SWCS                         $65000

                Chautauqua Cattaraugus                  $2750

                Donations, memorials                        $2000

                Grants                                                $5133

               Fundraising                                          $2500

                Fines, Fees                                          $500

TOTAL INCOME                                       $77,883

EXPENSES

               Wages and benefits                        $51,333

               Library Materials                               $9,555

               Library Operations                           $14,495

              Program expense                              $1,500

              Professional Development              $1,000

TOTAL EXPENSES                                         $77,883

Recent minimum wage increases and the subsequent increases as well as the escalating cost of materials (books, movies, audio books and magazines) , rising utility costs and overall inflation has strained out budget.

The library has not sought an increase since 2018, we have operated with level funding of $65,000 since that initial vote was approved.

The proposed increase will be approximately 7 to 8 cents per $1,000 assessed value, depending on the location of your property. For a property in Busti assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.96. For a property in Ellicott assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.10. For a property in Harmony assessed at $100,000, the annual increase would be $7.52.

Use the calculator below to find out how much your total library tax bill will be should the proposition pass (note: this is the full amount that will show on your 2025 school tax bill, including the proposed increase):

Click here to find your past school tax bills: https://www.swcsk12.org/Page/1483