On Tuesday, March 5, 2019, registered voters residing in the Oneida Public Library’s Special Legislature Library District can vote for candidates running for the one open seat on the OPL Board of Trustees that will open up July 1 and vote on the board’s proposed operating budget for the library’s upcoming fiscal year, July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
The sole announced candidate for the open board seat is the incumbent G. Richard Kinsella, Jr., who currently serves as the OPL Board president. The budget for FY 2019-2020 being proposed for the operation of the 220 Broad St. library facility is $433,560.
The proposed budget’s total revenue includes a Library District tax levy of $381,560, a 2.16 percent increase over the previous year’s levy; public funding of $15,000; private funding of $21,000; and library revenue of $16,000 generated by fines and ancillary service fees.
“We have worked hard to keep the operating budget for the upcoming year within the state tax cap while maintaining the high level of services the library provides to the community,” said OPL Director Michele Ryan. “It is always a challenge to provide the same level of exceptional service year to year while stretching funds to meet our basic needs. We pride ourselves on giving great value for your tax dollar.”
This year’s library vote is officially scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. in the library’s Meeting Room, 220 Broad St. Eligible voters must reside in the OPL Special District, which is co-extensive with the Oneida City School District. The district comprises: the City of Oneida, the Village of Wampsville and portions of the towns of Lenox and Lincoln in Madison County; and, in Oneida County, the Village of Oneida Castle, the hamlet of Durhamville and portions of Sylvan Beach and of the towns of Vernon, Verona and Vienna.
Trustee candidate G. Richard (“Rick”) Kinsella, Jr., a life-long resident of Oneida, currently lives on Main Street with his wife Dawn Krupiarz. Now retired, he worked for over 40 years in a variety of governmental and not-for profit agencies serving people and families experiencing alcohol and other drug related problems. He has brought his managerial and fiscal skills to several managing boards of not-for-profit organizations, including as a founding member the Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (Bridges) and Oneida’s American Youth Soccer Organization. As a volunteer, he designed the health data management system for the Mary Rose Clinic and continues to provide computer and device help in the weekly Tech Help program at the OPL.
“I am seeking re-election to the Oneida Public Library Board of Trustees,” Kinsella said, “because I believe I can continue to make a contribution to the board and thus also enhance the breadth and quality of the library’s operations. Ultimately, serving on the board is both a privilege and a responsibility. It will provide me with opportunities to ensure that the quality staff and programs of the library will continue to thrive and that our community will continue to treasure a valuable and vibrant asset.”
The OPL Board currently consists of Rick Kinsella, president; Lillian White, vice-president; Bradford Adams, treasurer; Patricia Albaugh, secretary; Heather de la Riva; Gary N. Taylor; and Katherine Wojciechowski. Board members serve five-year terms without any compensation.
The OPL Board invites interested members of the public to meet the board candidate and attend its open hearing on the proposed budget in the library’s Meeting Room on Tuesday, February 26, at 7:00 p.m.
To vote in the March 5 library election, library district residents living in Madison County must be currently registered with the Madison County Board of Elections while library district residents living in Oneida County must be registered with the Oneida County Board of Elections.
Absentee ballot applications are available from the OPL for registered voters residing in the OPL Special Library District who will be away from the district on the day of the library vote or are temporarily or permanently ill or disabled. Application forms and instructions for casting an absentee ballot are available at the OPL Circulation Desk, 220 Broad St., Oneida, or online at the OPL web site (www.oneidapubliclibrary.org) for printing out. Applicants who are duly registered to vote in the library district will be mailed absentee ballots at the designated address on the application.
For more information, stop by the Oneida Library, 220 Broad St., or call (315) 363-3050.