As you may be aware, Governor Cuomo released his FY2015-2016 Executive Budget proposal Wednesday afternoon. This officially begins the budget season in Albany.
Last year the Governor cut $4M from the previous year’s enacted budget, and proposed $81.6M in state library aid. With the hard work from librarians across the state, including an intrepid group who drove and bussed to Albany last year, we were able to reverse that cut, and $5M was added back to the budget, for a final number of $86.627M.
Despite some early discouraging reports about where we would be this year, we were able to successfully retain our $5M legislative add from the FY2014-15 enacted budget.
The Governor has proposed state library aid remain flat from last year, at $86.627M.
Though a small victory, this is flat funding from last year, and comes as the Governor is proposing up to a 4.8% increase in education spending. As we know from our recent Siena poll, a majority of New Yorkers want increased library funding, and 94% view libraries as an important part of our state’s educational infrastructure. (Please use the findings of this poll in your advocacy efforts.) This year’s Executive Budget also proposes a continued $14M in library construction aid and a $1.3M reimbursement for libraries and library systems subject to the MTA Commuter Tax.
AS always, our partners at NYLA and your colleagues around the region and the state, are relying on you to take action, and contact your elected officials through NYLA’s online advocacy tools once you receive an “Advocacy Alert”. In the interim, we at CLRC join NYLA in encouraging all library and library system directors to encourage staff to participate in these actions. Encourage everyone to “Get on the List” NYLA has developed, and visit nyla.org/advocacy for updates. When engaging with your elected officials, it is important that you discuss the great work you and your library are doing, and to also stay on message by using the talking points we have on our website. For those of you on social media, we have posted a set of tweets that we encourage you to use, and tweet at your local Assemblyman and Senator.
LIBRARY ADVOCACY DAY is Wednesday, February 25th! Come to Albany and make your voice heard! Sign up to ride the bus with CLRC today.
CLRC is providing additional advocacy training on Wednesday, February 11, where you can work with public speaking coach Peter Iglinski to sharpen your argument and make sure your point is heard and received. Do not miss this opportunity! Making persuasive arguments is good for your work with the legislators and all of your potential stakeholders!
This post is an edited version of an email sent by NYLA Executive Director, Jeremy Johannesen, on Friday, January 23. The post was edited for enhancement with local content.