Library deceives the public

[twain]

OMPTROLLER MYCHAJLIW RELEASES LIBRARY SYSTEM AUDIT





(Buffalo, New York) – Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw released the results of an audit of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System (the library). The audit was performed at the request of a bi-partisan group of Erie County Legislators after they passed a resolution demanding it.
“While cutting services and reducing the budgets for materials in neighborhood libraries, library administration wasted money on high priced lawyers and consultants to try and form their own special taxing district. Instead of buying more books and investing more in children’s programming, the library spent big bucks trying to create an extra layer of government taxpayers can’t afford,” said Mychajliw.
The audit uncovered $422,777 in expenses related the library’s pursuit of taxing power. Those expenses included $323,354 on lawyer fees and $99,423 on public relations consulting fees. For three years, the Library has worked with downstate consultants and lawyers to pursue legislation in Albany that would set them up as a taxing authority, similar to a school district. This is despite the fact that the library already has a full time Communications Director on staff that is paid $75,000 annually.
“The last thing the library should do is create another layer of government in Erie County. Our overburdened taxpayers are struggling. I call on the library to immediately end their misguided quest to expand big government in our area. Lawyers and high priced consultants made big bucks at the expense of additional books for children and more programs for families,” added Comptroller Mychajliw.
This is an outrage. This money could have been spent on needed items at so many of our libraries. Ms Jakubloski needs to be fired for her behind the back useless spending of taxpayer money. This is a major scandal.

[Linda_D]

It's hardly a "scandal". If local governments didn't constantly target public institutions under their control like libraries and schools for funding cuts, these organizations wouldn't seek to create special taxing districts for themselves. The city, suburban, and rural school districts that have special taxing districts do much better than the city schools that are dependent upon their local politicians for funding. Compare the Buffalo Public Schools to the Jamestown or Dunkirk School Districts or to the Tonawanda or North Tonawanda School Districts.

[grump]

Linda, hate to disagree but the Buffalo public schools crap money and they still can't educate anybody. They get a much larger % of their budget from NYS than any other district and it is virtually impervious to cuts. Yet it is an abject failure by any responsible measure. However, while I don't agree that those districts suffer because they are the targets of cuts, I do agree they would be better off if they had their own taxing authority. The school board could then be held accountable for the tax dollars they collect and taxpayers would force change if the disaster continued unabated for as long as it has in Buffalo.

[FMD]

Linda, hate to disagree but the Buffalo public schools crap money and they still can't educate anybody. They get a much larger % of their budget from NYS than any other district and it is virtually impervious to cuts. Yet it is an abject failure by any responsible measure. However, while I don't agree that those districts suffer because they are the targets of cuts, I do agree they would be better off if they had their own taxing authority. The school board could then be held accountable for the tax dollars they collect and taxpayers would force change if the disaster continued unabated for as long as it has in Buffalo.

your dreaming if you think the taxpayer pays attention enough to do anything