Feb 6, 2017 3 min read

East Washington Borough will lose representation on the Citizens Library board of directors after deciding for a second time not to make this year’s contribution.

By a vote of 4-3, the decision came down Monday night during a packed meeting in which more than a dozen residents voiced support for the library.

“I’m really disappointed on behalf of the residents. East Washington was one of the founding municipalities of the library,” said Diane Ambrose, library director. “It’s very sad that the council was not able to reconsider funding based on the services we provide.”

Council voted in December not to contribute and did not allow for a donation in the 2017 budget. During the Jan. 9 meeting, though, council members said they would reconsider after hearing from residents who wanted to support the library. A petition with 300 names was presented before the vote.

Matt Boice, Tamara Chacko and Guy Tucci voted in favor and Mary Taufer, Jerad Cypher, Chris Mascara and Chuck McHugh voted against funding.

In order to retain their representation, the borough would have to contribute about $3,500, or three percent of last year’s total contributions from all supporting municipalities.

East Washington contributed $5,000 last year.

Before voting, Boice said a $5,000 contribution would be 0.56 percent of the borough’s yearly budget.

“As a citizen, I’m disappointed that’s the direction we went,” he said. “I don’t know why we can’t find $3,000.”

Several council members said the borough is facing costly infrastructure improvements, including extensive road repairs. The borough building, which houses the police department and is used by staff, does not have hot water and has a mold problem.

McHugh said the expenses would be unprecedented.

Susan Martinelli, who was East Washington’s library representative and past president, said it was a shame the borough broke tradition by not supporting Citizens.

“It doesn’t hurt me,” she said. “It hurts the library and the staff and services and the people.”

Since 2013, several municipalities, including Canton, North Franklin and South Strabane townships, have reduced contributions. In 2014, Trinity Area School District eliminated funding and lost its representation on the board.

East Washington resident Jennifer Harding told borough council the library should be a funding priority.

“Having strong public libraries is a tradition (of the region),” Harding said.

Ambrose used the American Library Association’s library value calculator to deduce that Citizens provides a $1.6 million service to the community.

“Services we are providing free of charge to all of your residents,” she told the board.