The library's Board of Trustees voted to end library fines in March, but the de facto policy had been in place since the beginning of the pandemic. It's going well.
Croton Free Library is not free. "free" here means the public is allowed in, yet it is not paid for by the public. It is funded by taxing property in the Croton-Harmon School District.
My family uses the Library obsessively, and our fines are way lower than our Library taxes. As a heavy user I would rather they increase borrowing costs and fines, and reduce my property taxes.
This latest change is particularly unfair to the 3% Croton-Harmon School District homeowners with homes in the Town of Yorktown. They pay for Yorktown John C. Hart Memorial Library in Shrub Oak and in addition they also pay for the Croton Free Library. They pay for two libraries. And both are inaccessible given Quaker Bridge is closed and Shrub Oak is many miles away. Imagine paying for two libraries and both being inaccessible.
The rest of Westchester has library districts that align with Village and Towns. Croton Free Library was funded through Croton Village. Then our stupid, stupid Board of Education Members did a deal to move Village costs to the School District, including the Library. We already have a separate School Library. So now, some people pay for 3 libraries and have effective access to none.
The Library Mission Statement still refers to Croton Village, forgetting that it is funded by the entire School District. The library is Village focused in its activities, with nothing for the South side of Croton River nor up beyond Mt Airy outside the Village. I object to the Library's exclusive focus on the Village residents.
Croton-Harmon has a democratic deficit, in that the Village residents outvote the rest of the School District, despite contributing far less in taxes each. This is why we get these horrible deals that move tax costs from Village residents to School District residents. The other example of this was the transfer of sports field costs from Village to School District. It is a democratic tyranny that Village residents are voting for School District taxes.
The only way this tyranny is allowed is because the Croton-Harmon Board of Education has been incredibly weak and ineffective for many, many years; and has agreed to all these stupid arrangements. Watch the annual School District budget meeting and see the Library taxes increase yet again. We desperately need smarter and more independently minded Board of Education members. We also need Library trustees that reflect the entire community, not just Village residents.
For Croton Free Library's Yorktown residents, they can request BOCES PNW to move them School Districts. They would get a reduction in property taxes, elimination of the second library tax, and a higher performing school district, which would give their property values a boost. Less tax, better schools, higher house prices - you can see the attraction.
There is a real danger of secession of the edges of Croton-Harmon School District to better performing and lower taxing adjacent districts. Given that it is State policy to align School Districts to municipal boundaries, this would go through if requested.
Usually I would say this is another step to baby the newer generation of kids, but I guess the evidence shows that yearly losses are not that bad with the practice in place and people are generally responsible.
Croton Free Library is not free. "free" here means the public is allowed in, yet it is not paid for by the public. It is funded by taxing property in the Croton-Harmon School District.
My family uses the Library obsessively, and our fines are way lower than our Library taxes. As a heavy user I would rather they increase borrowing costs and fines, and reduce my property taxes.
This latest change is particularly unfair to the 3% Croton-Harmon School District homeowners with homes in the Town of Yorktown. They pay for Yorktown John C. Hart Memorial Library in Shrub Oak and in addition they also pay for the Croton Free Library. They pay for two libraries. And both are inaccessible given Quaker Bridge is closed and Shrub Oak is many miles away. Imagine paying for two libraries and both being inaccessible.
The rest of Westchester has library districts that align with Village and Towns. Croton Free Library was funded through Croton Village. Then our stupid, stupid Board of Education Members did a deal to move Village costs to the School District, including the Library. We already have a separate School Library. So now, some people pay for 3 libraries and have effective access to none.
The Library Mission Statement still refers to Croton Village, forgetting that it is funded by the entire School District. The library is Village focused in its activities, with nothing for the South side of Croton River nor up beyond Mt Airy outside the Village. I object to the Library's exclusive focus on the Village residents.
Croton-Harmon has a democratic deficit, in that the Village residents outvote the rest of the School District, despite contributing far less in taxes each. This is why we get these horrible deals that move tax costs from Village residents to School District residents. The other example of this was the transfer of sports field costs from Village to School District. It is a democratic tyranny that Village residents are voting for School District taxes.
The only way this tyranny is allowed is because the Croton-Harmon Board of Education has been incredibly weak and ineffective for many, many years; and has agreed to all these stupid arrangements. Watch the annual School District budget meeting and see the Library taxes increase yet again. We desperately need smarter and more independently minded Board of Education members. We also need Library trustees that reflect the entire community, not just Village residents.
For Croton Free Library's Yorktown residents, they can request BOCES PNW to move them School Districts. They would get a reduction in property taxes, elimination of the second library tax, and a higher performing school district, which would give their property values a boost. Less tax, better schools, higher house prices - you can see the attraction.
There is a real danger of secession of the edges of Croton-Harmon School District to better performing and lower taxing adjacent districts. Given that it is State policy to align School Districts to municipal boundaries, this would go through if requested.
Excellent Seinfeld reference and episode!
Usually I would say this is another step to baby the newer generation of kids, but I guess the evidence shows that yearly losses are not that bad with the practice in place and people are generally responsible.