Under Chapter 414 of NYS Education Law 259, the Elting Memorial Library will hold a vote this fall. On November 3, 2026, there will be a proposition on the ballot for the general election. This proposition will ask the following:

SHALL THE ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE TOWN OF NEW PALTZ PROVIDED IN ITS BUDGET FOR THE ELTING MEMORIAL LIBRARY, A FREE ASSOCIATION LIBRARY, LOCATED AT NEW PALTZ, NEW YORK, BE INCREASED BY FIFTY NINE THOUSAND AND EIGHTY ($59,080) DOLLARS ANNUALLY TO EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY FOUR THOUSAND ($903,080) DOLLARS ANNUALLY?

The vote will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting begins on October 24. You can vote in your normal polling facility.

For additional information, including where to vote, contact the Ulster County Board of Elections.

For association libraries such as Elting, any requested increase in taxpayer funding must be put before voters within the library’s service area for a vote. Elting is chartered to serve the Town of New Paltz, including the Village.

This type of direct taxpayer vote is called a referendum. It may also be called a “414 vote.” This refers to the chapter of New York State Education Law that stipulates this method of voter-approved funding.

Public libraries such as Elting are free to use, but not free to operate. While Elting strives to contain expenses, the cost of things such as staff health coverage, contract services and materials continues to increase.

An additional factor in this budget cycle is the loss of income from the providing passport application processing. In February 2026, the federal administration halted many libraries such as Elting to provide this convenient and efficient service the public. In 2025, Elting had $17,000 in income by providing passport application processing. This loss of this income has been factored into Elting’s request for additional taxpayer support.

Everyone needs libraries! Libraries are busier than ever. Elting is no exception. There are public computers, wifi, and printing available every day (Elting is open seven days a week!). There are programs for all ages and study rooms to book for a meeting or a quiet place to work. Unique items such as the Library of Things and the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection make Elting special.

Added to all of this are an easy to use library app and online resources – materials and tools available from home and on the go.

Elting’s team of 16 full and part-time staff are engine of the Library. Led by the Library’s Director, the staff provides direct services to the public every day. Many volunteers provide assistance with a variety of tasks from special events to shelving books.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for strategic planning, policy development and review, supporting the Library Director and financial administration, including fundraising.

Everyone works together to raise the funds that supplement taxpayer support. For 2026, the budget adopted by the Board was $986,400. Local taxpayer support represented 86% of this income. The remaining 14% or $142,400, is raised from other sources.

Learn more about the Board of Trustees.

With 5,437 households (according to 2024 U.S. Census Bureau figures), a $59,080 increase will result an average annual tax increase of $11. Basically, this increase amounts to less than a dollar per household.

Another way of looking at this is the average cost per taxed property parcel. According to a 2025 report from the New Paltz Assessor’s Office, there are 3,907 taxable parcels in the Town and Village of New Paltz. Looked at this way, the proposed increase will result in an average annual increase of $15 per parcel, or $1.25 per month.

The increase helps Elting continue to provide quality services, programs and materials to the community. This includes access to online and local resources, special collections such as zines, the Library of Things and the historical collection.

Unfortunately the increasing costs of materials, benefits and library usage makes it difficult to continue to provide the same level of service. The library would work hard to meet the community’s needs but it would have to make adjustments. Hard decisions might include reduced hours, programming, purchases and services.

The money goes back to the community in the form of services and resources. The staff is the library’s biggest resource because they are the ones who help connect patrons with what they need.

No, construction cannot increase property taxes.

Elting, as an association library, cannot request or issue a bond to fund construction. Construction cannot be paid for with an increase in property taxes.

The architect and Board of Trustees will present the community with a cost projection for any increase in annual operating expenses for the Library once construction is completed. It is expected that any increase will be modest, if any.

For more information, see Building a Better Library for Everyone.