By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG – Deputy Mayor Michael Morley is concerned the library isn’t asking for enough on the upcoming school ballot.

Ogdensburg Public Library will seek $50,000 from Ogdensburg School District taxpayers during the next school budget vote after being hit with nearly $40,000 in cuts in the 2016 budget.

Even with substantial savings the city raised the tax rate by more than 13 percent.

Morley said the library should expect deeper cuts in the upcoming budget and suggested the library should seek significantly more funding on the upcoming ballot.

“I’d like them to be prepared,” he said, adding that this year’s budget would

Councilor David Price also shared Morley’s concern.

“I’d like to see them go for the whole amount,” he said.

The library is largely dependent on the city for its $587,000 budget, with less than $80,000 coming from other sources.

State law allows public libraries to raise money in this fashion if they successfully garner enough signatures to get the referendum on the ballot.

Library Director Penny Kerfien said the library will request $50,000 from district taxpayers. While the majority of the money will come from Ogdensburg residents, parts of Oswegatchie and Lisbon also fall within the city’s school district.

Information concerning a request by the Ogdensburg Public Library to include a proposed "School Ballot Referendum" on the Annual School District Meeting and Election ballot to be held on Tuesday, May 16 was presented to the district's Board of Education at Monday's school board meeting.

The library's Board of Trustees passed a resolution to pursue funds through a school district vote on Monday, Jan. 23.

If district taxpayers vote in favor of the referendum, the tax increase would amount to less than $16 for every $100,000 of assessed property value in Lisbon and less than $14 per $100,000 of assessed property value in Ogdensburg and Oswegatchie.

Library trustees plan to gather the signatures required to place the referendum on the ballot and make a formal request at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, Feb. 27. A minimum of 25 signatures is required.

If passed, the referendum will be considered an annual appropriation and will remain on the budget until changed by further vote.

The school district will be required to publish public notice of the potential referendum at least 30 days before the vote is scheduled.