Wantagh Voters Pass Library Budget

Voters gave their stamp of approval Tuesday for the  proposed 2012/13 budget.

The Wantagh Public Library’s $2.3 million budget proposal was passed by 53 votes, 158 to 105. The spending plan represents a $120,419 or 6.19 percent increase from the library’s current $2.2 million budget.

“I want to thank the community for their support,” said Wantagh Public Library Director Maggie Marino. “I look forward to continuing to make good things happen and keep finding ways to meet the needs of the community.”

Library officials said the majority of the budget increase is due to $92,000 in state-mandated pension costs. The approved budget is estimated to increases taxes for the average Wantagh homeowner by about $9.45, according to library officials. 

The budget exceeds the state’s new 2 percent tax cap legislation but a simple majority is all that was needed to approve the fiscal plan and not 60 percent in the case of school districts. This was due to a portion of the tax cap law that permits libraries to propose budgets above the tax cap with a 60 percent approval by the library’s Board of Trustees. 

Also on the ballot Tuesday were incumbent Wantagh Public Library trustees Jennie Farrell and Gianna Gelci-Steen. Both candidates ran unopposed with Farrell garnering 186 votes and Gelci-Steen receiving 120.