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On Monday night, April 17, the Mamaroneck Village Board of Trustees voted to approve tax anticipation notes that would allow the Mamaroneck Public Library to remain open, Mamaroneck Mayor Tom Murphy announced.
The announcement comes after the library's Board of Trustees had announced in early April that the library would need $1.4 million in funds to stay open after they had been led to believe it possessed a large surplus of funds that did not exist by a former senior staffer.
- Earlier Report - Mamaroneck Library Needs Over $1M To Stay Open After Financial Irregularities Found
This same former employee was put on administrative leave after the board discovered "financial irregularities" involving the library's business office in February, and a financial forensic audit was started.
This employee, who was the only person overseeing all financial transactions and records for many years, has since been accused of "inappropriately using a position of trust to use library funds for personal purposes," according to Murphy, who also said it is up to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office to investigate and decide if any charges should be filed.
After Murphy was told in April that the library desperately needed the funds or it would have to close on Thursday, June 1, he and the Board of Trustees decided that the village would make an effort to keep the library open by lending credit to it. To do this, the village approved tax anticipation notes that the library will repay out of its future tax revenues.
Murphy explained that this action was not preferable, but needed to keep the library open for residents.
"No one is happy with what has happened with the financial issues that the library has encountered," he said, adding, "What is imperative is to keep the library open and doing the vital work that our residents deserve and depend upon. That goal was achieved this evening."
Murphy added that the library's staff told him that they are enacting cost savings and cuts to "begin the process of righting their fiscal ship."
The library's staff is also working to enact strict fiscal guidelines the village will review.
"I am very proud to be on this Board of Trustees that faced this issue head-on and made a rather difficult vote to keep the library open to serve every member of the community," Murphy said, adding, "While other communities are banning books and demonizing libraries, we as a community are telling the world that we care about information, art and the power of knowledge to enrich and advance society."
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