Middletown Mayor Addresses Library Concerns
Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore sent the following message to the approximately 6000 Middletown residents who have subscribed to the township’s website and electronic communication program. The Mayor’s message about the library is also posted on the Middletown website.
Dear Township Residents:
I felt it was necessary for me to respond to the recent flurry of comments and emails regarding the Middletown Township Library. It is unfortunate that some have chosen to engage in the spread of completely false information with regard to the Township Committee’s request of the Middletown Library Board. So let me set the record straight.
First let me make it very clear that neither I nor any member of the Township Committee has ever suggested or proposed closing any library facility in the Township. We would simply not do such a thing.
The situation the Township finds itself in is not unlike that being faced by towns throughout New Jersey. With revenues sharply down due to the economic downturn we remain in and with state-mandated costs ever on the rise, we are now faced with an extraordinary fiscal challenge. This includes the potential for the layoff of a number of employees and even possibly police. Be assured that we do all we can to avoid layoffs and we take the matter very seriously.
The Library budget is different from the Township budget in that state law specifies how much must be allocated to the library each year, whether it is needed to operate the library or not. The result of this is that the library now has a surplus of $1.2 million. While some portion of this surplus is needed for ongoing support of library programs and initiatives, the vast majority is not needed for continued operations. I personally met about two weeks ago with the Library Director and the Board Chairman and asked that they bring back to the library board a request to transfer approximately $700,000.00 – $800,000.00 of their surplus to the Township’s budget. This would be used to offset layoffs and to help fund the continuation of many vital Township services and help to offset the impact of over $4 million in tax appeals.
The Township Committee is fully aware that the library board cannot be forced to do this. However we are asking that they work with us in a unified effort to help all of the residents and taxpayers of the Township. I would note that the Township Sewerage Authority dedicated a portion of its surplus to the Township last year and we anticipate them doing the same again this year.
Many people have expressed concern that the Township Committee is seeking to transfer operation of the library to the Monmouth County Library System. Let me be clear that the Township Committee has taken no action to do this. Such a move would be an absolute last resort, but without the transfer of some of the library surplus it may become a fiscal necessity. Not an option, a necessity. Should this action have to occur, the library would not close, it would simply move under the umbrella of the county and the staff would become county employees rather than be Township employees. Again, we do not want to make this move. We would like to see our library continue as the great Township facility it is. Our hope is that we can work with the Library Board as a team with the best interests of the Township as the goal.
Sincerely,
Anthony P. Fiore, Mayor
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So, basically he’s saying if they don’t hand over their cash, he’s dumping the library into the county system. If that’s not a threat, then I don’t know what is.
Expect anything less from the Democratic chairman of Colts Neck? When was the last election you won? Based on your defense of reckless spending, I don’t wonder why Republicans control Colts Neck.
Well, at least your name fits. This is your comment on the post? And really, since you’re a coward hiding behind a fake moniker, how many elections have you even run in? When did you put your balls on the line and run? And if you did, and won, then shame on you for this really stupid post. But hey, feel free to hide and bash. Or, are you by any chance Fibber Fiore?
Hey Dick, The Republicans are guilty of the reckless spending in Middletown. Funny you don’t seem to accuse them of it.
Hey Jerry – you mean reckless spending to pay your union thugs? What union are you in?Keep standing up to the unions mayor they are driving us out of our homes. Hope the governor has the national guard ready.
PD your party’s obsession with diverting blame onto the unions is getting stale. If we didn’t hear about union “thugs” from you when the economy was booming, then it really has no validity hearing it from you now- now that credit default swaps, lack of financial oversight and a host of other Wall Street errors and omissions have sent the economy reeling. You wanted the weakened regulatory state, you got it. If you are going to continually point fingers where they don’t belong, why don’t you just resurrect Reagan’s old “welfare queen”? There is a whole generation of younger people who are too young to remember that stereotype and you may as well show a little diversity in your complete distortion of history.
PD, you keep on blaming the unions as if they alone are responsible for all our financial woes.
Come on, their salaries, pensions and health benefits are negotiated and contracted, but that didn’t cause our problems in Middletown.
The problems started when the the spending got out of control, bonding, and mismanagement of our finances.
Once the economy tanked we could no longer rob Peter to pay Paul and you guys decided to go after the unions.
Yes, we all have to sacrifice now, but stop putting the blame where it doesn’t belong.
Mayor Fiore got caught trying to bully and demonize the library because they run their organization well. Now he’s back peddling and trying to sound reasonable. Maybe he should get some budgeting lessons from them first before he takes their money. I don’t want my tax dollars entrusted to these incompetents.
Senttembrino has no business being on the TC and the library board. That is a conflict of interest especially in lieu of his trying to extort money from them.
PD, BTW most of my union thug friends are Republicans. Unions are not exclusive to Dems.
One other thing, I went on the Middletown township web site and could not find any recent minutes from meetings. The latest ones were from April 2010.
It’s very clear the Republicans do not want to let the public know what is happening.
If not for the email sent around, no one would be aware of what was happening with the library.
How’s that for a lack of transparency? No wonder the Mayor has refused to address televising the meetings which was introduced by Sean Byrnes at his last meeting. Fiore tabled the resolution and hasn’t mentioned it since.
This is no way for our elected officials to conduct themselves. They should be held accountable for their actions.
Televise the meetings Fiore and Co. You get almost $400,000.00 in franchise fees from Verizon & Comcast and you have the equipment because you video tape the concerts. Stop with the lies about how much it would cost.
If you think you’re doing such a great job, then let your constituents see it.
You should have nothing to hide.