Flip your ballot over and vote yes for Proposition 7.
This proposition will set the amount Union Vale pays Beekman, LaGrange and Millbrook libraries (around $77,000 total), in order to restore full library services to Union Vale residents. Restrictions were placed on library users from Union Vale in 2020 when the Town Board decided not to sign the contract with Mid-Hudson Library Services. The amount of users from Union Vale has been determined to be a hardship for the Beekman, LaGrange and Millbrook libraries. We use their facilities and resources and we benefit from their programs. It is only right that Union Vale pays for this privilege, and the amount put forth in the proposition has been determined to be a fair amount. It is far less than what we would pay if we had our own library.
For more information, please visit: LSS4UV.com
If the town does not support our neighboring town libraries, is there a plan for Union Vale to subscribe to Mid-Hudson library as its own entity with access at the Union Vale properties?
Is there a discussion that includes the privileges of the Union Vale town/park property to neighboring towns?
I’ve heard a discussion in the past that a piece of property on Union Vale park property has recently been highly taxed by Beekman town board without discussion.
Has this disagreement contributed to the decision to hold back on distributing funds to the local libraries?
These are all good questions and I encourage you to attend Town Board meetings and listen to the conversation that the Supervisor has promised will take place in December and January. To the best of my knowledge, we need to have a chartered library to access the Mid-Hudson Library System. This will take money, time and commitment. Even if this happens down the road, Proposition 7 will allow us full access to all libraries in the MHLS immediately. You bring up an interesting point about shared services. We do have a beautiful park and pool. Perhaps there is room for negotiation.
The piece of property in the park that belongs to Beekman has been discussed recently and the town is in the process of trying to annex it. It is a legal process that has been going on for a while. Whether that controversy has impacted the Town Board’s willingness to negotiate further with the libraries can only be answered by the Supervisor and members of the Town Board.
Thanks for reaching out.
In a Google World, the library is like the Western Union telegraph office.
If you spend time at one of our neighboring libraries, you will see people using computers and getting assistance from library staff. Many families enjoy the programs, both for children, teens and adults. Other people like to read physical books, rather than e-books, and the library offers a wide variety of books at no cost. These are just a few reasons that libraries can’t be replaced by Google or other on-line services.