MPLIn Need Of Louisville, Brasher Names On Petitions

MASSENA - With one month to go, Massena Public Library officials are still seeking signatures from Brasher and Louisville voters to put a referendum on November's ballot that would have those residents join Massena in financially supporting the library.

"We have until basically the end of August to collect the necessary signatures. Once we have the petitions, we will submit them to the town clerks in Louisville and Brasher, and they will forward them (to the county's Board of Elections in Canton). We want to get the petitions to town clerks in Brasher and Louisville the first of September," library Director Paul L. Schaffer said.

The residents who sign the petitions must be registered voters who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election.

They need signatures from 110 Louisville residents and had 31 as of Wednesday, according to Mr. Schaffer, who said there are likely more signatures being collected by volunteers in that town.

"My guess is that we have many more signatures that are being collected by half a dozen Louisville residents. We still have a ways to go to get 110," he said.

Residents who visit the library are being asked to let one of the clerks know that they live in Louisville so they can sign the petition if they wish.

"We're asking people when they come in if they support the endeavor. Hopefully people come in and identify themselves as Louisville residents," Mr. Schaffer said.

When they do, Library Assistant Debbie Fuehring, a notary public, can witness their signature if they elect to sign the petition.

In the town of Brasher, Mr. Schaffer said they need 63 signatures and had 48 as of Wednesday.

Brasher residents who visit the library are also being asked to identify themselves as residents of that community so they can sign the petition while they are there.

"We hand out an information sheet that explains what we're doing and gives some of the figures to make sure people know what they're signing for," the library director noted.

Mr. Schaffer said the effort is one of "fairness" in funding the library, pointing out that owners of a home assessed at $100,000 in Massena now pay $116.77 a year, while owners of a home assessed at $50,000 pay $58.39.

"We're trying to get across fairness in the surrounding communities to help Massena residents keep the library going," he said.

At this point, no residents from Brasher or Louisville who use the facility contribute to the library.

Under the library's proposal, the owner of home assessed at $100,000 in Brasher would pay $8.69 a year. For owners of homes assessed at $50,000, the cost would be $4.34 a year in Brasher.

Louisville homeowners would contribute $3.06 per year in additional taxes on a $50,000 home or $6.12 per year in taxes on a $100,000 home if the referendum was passed there.

Those numbers could not change unless they went back to the voters, according to Mr. Schaffer.

If approved, the measure would generate $7,000 a year from Brasher residents and $9,000 a year from Louisville residents, the library director said.

"I'm hoping to get it on the ballot. The next step is get the people to go out and vote. We're hoping people will come out to vote. It's very important," Mr. Schaffer said.

This would be a second attempt at a referendum in both communities.

Library officials were successful in getting enough signatures in Louisville in 2007, but residents turned the proposition down by a 227 to 158 margin.

Library officials were unsuccessful in obtaining enough signatures to put the referendum on the ballot in 2007 in Brasher.