Clearly, very many residents of Greenfield support building a new public library in place of the current 222-year-old Colonial structure.
Many arguments have been advanced, some speaking to the value to the community of the services the library provides and how its staff are hobbled at trying to provide 21st century services in an 18th century building.
Others note that a larger, modern, fully accessible library will be an investment that attracts new businesses, industries or residents by demonstrating clearly that Greenfield is a forward-leaning community that cares about all its people — not a city in retrenchment.
For some who might be won over by these arguments, money might still be a concern. We all want to be assured a new library is a good value.
So far, Greenfield has seen the value of a new senior center, although only after its role was broadened to serve as a “community center.” Greenfield saw the benefit or need to spend $60 million on a new high school, and before that, many more millions for a new middle school and elementary schools.
In the current discussions about the new library, it’s important to note that the proposed building would be a great value for the city. While the proposed library is projected to cost $19.5 million to build, the state will cover nearly half, $9.4 million, and library backers are aiming to raise as much as $2 million more in private donations.
Greenfield Public Library Foundation has raised just over $670,000 in donations and pledges to date. If fundraising pans out, local taxpayers will be asked to borrow closer to $8 million for a nearly $20 million project.
How many of us wouldn’t find the money if offered a new $20,000 car for $8,000?
We get that some people distrust government generally and the current mayor specifically when it comes to finances, but there’s no reason to let that suspicion get in the way of a sound decision-making process.
Mayor William Martin asserts that borrowing for the library won’t raise the tax rate because it will simply replace current loans that are about to be paid off. That won’t change the minds of those who just can’t or won’t pay anything for a library or prefer for taxes to drop at the expense of library patrons. But for those looking for a good value and a way to avoid the library boosting taxes, this sounds like it. How to be sure?
Ed Berlin, vice chairman of the Greenfield Library Board of Trustees and chairman of the Library Building Committee, says Martin needs to bring more numbers to the table, which we think is a good idea.
If distrust of numbers is a problem, then we’d advocate bringing in outside accountants or financial experts to review Martin’s math. Perhaps his skeptics on the City Council could recommend someone they trust. Then everyone can make their decisions based on the facts not their fears.
“There shouldn’t need to be a question about what the numbers are,” Berlin said, and he’s right.