I urge a yes vote on the library budget, since the library board and director Nancy Curtin have, in my view, done a commendable job in managing the budget, especially when we compare it to the school district. The salaries paid library employees are reasonable, the community views favorably the helpful manner in which requests are routinely dealt with by library personnel and appreciates the popular programs run monthly by the library and its valued Friends organization.

I should also note the entire library tax will be well below the increase alone in the school budget. The proposed school budget increase of 10 percent is nearly three times the percent increase in the library budget. Over the past three years, our library budget increased by less than 15 percent while the school budget increased by over 28 percent. I recommend a yes vote on the library budget, but not on the school budget which continues its out-of-control increases.

Frank J. Russo Jr.