NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (WKTV) - New Hartford residents voted down a re-chartering plan for the New Hartford Public Library Thursday. The vote would have changed the New Hartford Public Library from a Town Library to a School District Public Library, allowing it to increase spending and elect new trustees. The vote came in YES: 683 NO: 1460.

After a massive voter turnout all day, New Hartford residents voted to keep the library exactly how it is, however library trustees say while it will stay under the town's control, the library's ways will have to change.

"I think a lot of people did not realize if it went down that the library is unable to operate at the level it is now," said Library Trustee Mary Duross.

If approved, the vote would have changed the library from being a town public library to school district one and increase it's budget to almost $900,000, money trustees say it needs to operate.

"We've had a very significant decrease in funding for the last 3 years and we have lost as well as all other Mid-York libraries all Oneida County funding and as you know costs go up," said Duross. "We have been dipping into our reserves to keep services going and after this year there won't be that opportunity at all so the choices are real and they're going to be hard to make."

The library's trustees and rechartering committee will meet Friday afternoon to discuss recommendations for the library what Duross says will include shortened hours and being closed on more than just Wednesdays.