Letter to the Editor:

 December 14, 2004

I support Supervisor Paul Feiner’s strong stance regarding a November referendum on the proposed Library expansion. It is disingenuous of the Library Board and some members of the Town Board to expect large town-wide vote in March. There is no record of any March vote being able to attract even a fraction of a traditional November election. This is an obvious effort to “slide” this important issue past the majority of voters. There is a town-wide election in November and candidates should be asked their stance on this all-important issue. To spend $20 million on a plan based on a “sketch” seems quite premature. The NY Times reported this morning that Google is adding major libraries to its database. They are saying that 15 million volumes will be easily able to be accessed. Will this mean that libraries, as we know, will be obsolete in the future? I urge the Town Board to save the $30,000 cost for a special March election, and to thoroughly review the long-term financial impact and cultural aspects of this $20 million project. The specter of double-digit tax increases for the foreseeable future will have a major effect on the ability of many homeowners to stay in Greenburgh.

Richard J. Garfunkel