New York State Government Reform Act Could Threaten Libraries

Opposed by library advocates, law makes it easier to dissolve taxing districts

Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 6/11/2009

• Easier to consolidate, dissolve districts
• No librarian input into legislative language
• Local issue becomes statewide agenda

Both houses of the New York State Legislature June 7 passed a bill, opposed by library advocates, that will make it easier for local governments to reduce property taxes and thus dissolve library districts. Gov. David Paterson has until June 17 to sign the legislation into law, which he will do, New York Library Association executive director Michael Borges told LJ. 

Sponsored by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the "New N.Y. Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act" (S. 5661/A. 8501) includes library districts in the definition of "local government entities" that can be consolidated or dissolved in an effort to "reorganize outdated and inefficient local governments."

Consolidation, dissolution made easier
The act would make it easier for local governments and citizens to initiate consolidation and dissolution of "local government entities," numbering more than 10,500 statewide. Local governing bodies would be able to initiate such proceedings more easily. 

Citizens could do the same by collecting petition signatures—5000 or ten percent, whichever is less (or in smaller communities, 20 percent). What is troubling, according to Borges, is that a county legislature can initiate a referendum allowing voters to decide on an issue outside their communities.

Act’s flaws
Borges said library advocates have several other objections to the bill. The language referring to library districts is ambiguous; no one with knowledge of libraries was contacted during formation of the bill’s language, he said, and no definition of "library district" is included, while other categories of "district" are defined.

Given that the state Education Law already allows for the dissolution and consolidation of libraries, NYLA believes that, as with school districts, libraries should've been exempted from the law.

Local issue made state concern
The impetus to overhaul local government had its origins in Long Island, a region with many overlapping taxing districts, he noted, but the legislation, conceived hastily, addresses a local problem on a statewide basis. 

According to Cuomo's web site, "Long Island has become a special district archipelago. Nassau and Suffolk Counties combined have over 340 special districts. The result of the hodgepodge is multiple tax bills."

However, said Borges, there’s been no outcry for consolidation elsewhere: "It’s a political gesture."