Good News Doesn’t Spur PPL Board To Restore More Funding

PLATTSBURGH CITY – December 11, 2012

A favorable report was followed by a mysterious lack of additional action at this evening’s Plattsburgh Public Library Board of Trustees meeting.

It looks good for PPL regarding its funding for next year, according to City Councilor/Library Liaison Tim Carpenter. Some PPL employees were concerned that they were facing layoffs if the necessary funding wasn’t approved.

When he made his report, Carpenter indicated that PPL had the support of the majority of the City Council, meaning the $60,000 Mayor Kasprzak had cut would be restored. He added that nothing was final until next month when the Council approved the budget.

Back in September Mayor Kasprzak was conservative with estimating future sales tax revenue while working on his budget proposal.  But that revenue turned out to be better than expected. 

With this good news Trustee John Prim raised the option of asking for restoration of other funding that the Board had cut. Carpenter said that it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

Trustee Ginny Brady said she was hesitant about asking the Council for more funding.

Carpenter said that the best way to proceed with the issue was to make a motion.

Prim made a motion but there was silence. No one seconded the motion. The Board moved on to other issues, going into executive session.

Why wasn’t the motion seconded? It seems that even if the request to restore more funding was turned down, there would be at least a record that the library still needed financial support for some of its programs. Going back next year to the city for budget approval, the Board doesn’t have anything to point to. The challenge could be made, “You didn’t need it last year so why are you asking this time around?”

It’s a mystery why the Board didn’t pursue the matter, especially after its City Council liaison said it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

[ REVISED 12/13/12 12:30 AM to add paragraph re: sales tax revenue. ]