LETTER: Vote yes for Killingly town budget to protect access to library
To the editor:
Recently a few hundred Killingly residents voted on the budgets proposed for the town and our schools. The voters, by a small margin, approved an increase for the school system, but rejected the proposed town budget. Voters will have a chance to approve or reject a revised town budget on Tuesday, May 23. I urge everyone to get out and vote to approve the next version - if you don't, library access treasured by Killingly residents will be threatened with extreme cuts. Possibilities include eliminating weekend and Saturday hours at the library and cutting staff - even complete closure!
Programming like story hours, homeschooling resources, summer literary program for kids, book clubs and craft programs for all ages could be wiped out. The library could not afford to offer access to data and support for IT, genealogy, and veterans' programs, among other resources.
Killingly Public Library currently provides free space for meetings - why is that important? Without access to our community rooms, AARP could not offer our seniors help with their taxes, Little League could not register participants and the Girl Scouts, Killingly Business Association and Alcoholics Anonymous could not meet. Where will Killingly citizens go to make copies, fax documents, and apply online for jobs and education programs? And of course, how could library patrons get hold of the 50,000 items per year that they check out?
One quick note - if you vote against a Killingly budget proposal, you also have to indicate whether you think the budget is too high or too low. If you believe the proposed town budget is too low, please just vote "yes"! Increasing the town budget is off the table, so your vote is wasted if you vote "no, too low."
We need every resident to vote "yes." Over 300 people visit our library every day; if they all voted, the library and its programs would be safe. Please vote "yes" on Tuesday, May 23 to insure that this amazing institution remains a key part of our community!
Robin Lofquist, Danielson
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Letter: Vote to support Killingly town budget, protect library
