Aug 14, 2014 2 min read

The South Strabane Township supervisors Tuesday temporarily suspended funding to Citizens Library in Washington until it receives recent financial statements from the library.

Supervisors voted unanimously to withhold funding until the library provides financial records for the months of June and July.

Township manager John Stickle said he was notified by Citizens Library by letter that no financial statement was sent in July because the library board did not have a meeting scheduled during that month.

Library Director Diane Ambrose said the financial reports will be forwarded to the township following the Aug. 19 board meeting.

Supervisor Ed Mazur pointed out, however, that the library board did hold an emergency meeting July 27.

He also said the board of supervisors thinks the financial statements should be sent whether a meeting is held or not.

“Financial statements are a mere matter of record. It is an accounting, basically, of receipts and expenditures. The library board doesn’t have to see a financial statement before South Strabane gets to see one,” said Mazur. “Financial statements are due whether or not there’s a meeting. Because they didn’t have a meeting in July doesn’t give them a holiday on producing a financial statement for that month.”

Ambrose said she has not yet received formal notification from South Strabane that the township is withholding funding.

South Strabane contributes $26,800 annually to the library. The township makes quarterly contributions and the next installment of $6,700 is due to be made to the library in October.