New Charter

Perry Public Library Receives New Charter!

Newly elected Perry Public Library trustees sign oath of office and apply to the New York State Education Department’s Board of Regents for a new charter. Clockwise from left are: Mary E. Buzard, Nancy M. Meissel, Eleanor J. Jacobs, Angelic M. Lowery, Paul V. Gibson, Sharon A. Holtz (Notary Public and former trustee), Elizabeth H. Rice, and Roy A. Griswold.
Photo taken by Library Director Peggy Parker, June 26, 2002, in the library’s art gallery.

Thank you to all who made the vote successful!

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NEWS: On October 4, 2002, the Board of Regents granted the Perry Public Library an absolute charter designating the Perry Central School District as the library's new chartered service area.

Why hold a library vote?

A new approach was needed to provide funding for the Perry Public Library. Previously the Town of Perry provided most of the library's funding through tax on Town of Perry residents. The Village of Perry, Town of Castile and Perry School District provided small amounts of additional funding. Following new guidelines provided by the Board of Regents, the library's Board of Trustees proposed to switch its funding source to the library's true service area--the Perry School District--and hold a public vote. A vote held June 19, 2001, was approved nearly 3 to 1 for this switchover in funding and thus shifted the library's support to the appropriate funding base. The next year on June 4, 2002, residents voted to officially form the new library district with a budget of $141,000 and to elect seven trustees.

Perry Public Library remains independent, governed by its own Board of Trustees. The Perry School District acts only as the collector of tax funds for the library.

Do other libraries have votes?

Yes. Dansville, Nunda, Clyde, Lyons and others fund their libraries this way. The New York State Board of Regents recently adopted an initiative (New Century Libraries) which encourages communities to expand library service areas and establish public votes on library funding across the state.

How did it work?

A special election was held at the Perry Public Library on Tuesday, June 4, 2002, from Noon to 9:00 p.m. All eligible voters in the Perry Central School District were eligible to vote on the library propositions. The propositions were as follows:

Proposition 1: Shall the Perry Public Library be established for the residents of the Perry Central School District in accordance with §216 and §255 of the Education Law?
(NOTE: §216 specifies who may apply for a charter, and §255 specifies how to establish a public library.)
VOTE RESULT FOR Proposition 1: 86 YES and 6 NO.

Proposition 2: Shall the Board of Education of the Perry Central School District be authorized to assess and levy upon the taxable property of the District the sum of One Hundred Forty-One Thousand Dollars ($141,000) annually toward the Perry Public Library Budget?
(NOTE: This is a small increase--less than 1%--over the previously approved $140,000.)
VOTE RESULT FOR Proposition 2: 82 YES and 10 NO.

Proposition 3: The Trustees of Perry Public Library shall be: (vote for seven (7)):
Nancy M. Meissel, Mary E. Buzard, Roy A. Griswold, Paul Gibson, Eleanor J. Jacobs, Angelic Lowery, Elizabeth H. Rice
(NOTE: Candidates for Library Board--listed above in random order--submitted the required petitions in order to be placed on the ballot.)
ALL TRUSTEE CANDIDATES WERE ELECTED.
(The seven candidates ran unopposed. Initial terms of office were staggered but will eventually all be 5-year terms.)

What happened next?

The newly elected Board met and submitted a petition for a new charter to the Board of Regents at the end of June 2002. The charter was officially approved on October 4, 2002.

Where can I get more information?

Contact one of the Perry Public Library trustees or the library director.

What does the service area look like?

The new library district is the Perry Central School District, which is the entire mapped outline shown here. Lines have been drawn in to show the portions of the various municipalities which fall within the school district boundaries.
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