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New Hartford Library Board meets to discuss future following defeat of rechartering proposal

By JOLEEN FERRIS

Story Created: Sep 7, 2012 at 12:30 PM EDT

Story Updated: Sep 7, 2012 at 7:08 PM EDT

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (WKTV) - Tempers flared and voices rose at a meeting Friday of the board of trustees of the New Hartford Public Library.

New Hartford voters last month overwhelmingly defeated a measure that would have made the library part of the school district. Board President Linda Romano says the move would have guaranteed and stabilized library funding into the future. At Friday's meeting, one attendee said that the library's future should not include Romano, and he asked her to step down.

"If you were CEO of a company and you had that level of failure to communicate, failure to push through a very important vote to the library which really falls on yourself, I don't think you would remain CEO of that company," said Joseph Bolton.

Romano responded by telling Bolton that she was one of the three top vote-takers in the recent board of trustees election, and therefore was not going anywhere.

"So I think the majority of people out there in fact did support my remaining a trustee and I appreciate your opinion but you are in the minority sir. Thank you," said Romano.

Romano said that the town will pay for a complete audit of the library; something she has always wanted but that the library could not afford.

"What we are looking at now is any types of savings in terms of what we currently do and when we're left with a number that honestly can't be cut any more, then we have to look at hours, days, services, programs," says Romano.

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