MONTICELLO – The Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library’s annual budget vote will be held on Wednesday, October 12 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Voting will take place at the Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library in Monticello. All registered voters of the library district in the Towns of Thompson, Bethel, and Forestburgh residing within the Monticello Central School District are eligible to vote in this election.  

Absentee ballots are available to eligible voters by calling the election clerk at (845)794-4660 x6 to request an application.

The 2023 library budget will be $1,448,863 – which includes $351,563 previously approved capital debt service repayment. The 2023 budget represents a 7.58 percent increase over the 2022 budget. The 2023 budget will result in a 4.18 percent increase in the tax levy, which is below the allowable Tax Cap for the Library of 4.31 percent.  

The increase in the tax levy was offset by unallocated funds. Copies of the 2023 budget are available at the library or on the library website:  ebcpl.org.

Three seats on the library board are up for election.  Incumbent trustees Lynn Skolnick (3yr), Maureen O’Meara (3yr), and Richard Arnold (2yr) will not be running for re-election to the seats they currently fill.   

Thomas Rue and Lisa Clark have submitted petitions to fill a 3 year and a 2-year term, respectively. Absentee ballot applications are available from the election clerk at the library.