The new library is stunning, and townspeople for decades to come will enjoy the hard work and craftsmanship that went into renovating Old Bromfield and expanding the building.
We do remember, however, that when residents were asked by library fundraisers to support the new library, they were told that they would be responsible for one fixed number and not a dollar more. At Annual Town Meeting, voters will be asked for somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 for more operating costs, a number that will become part of the town’s tax base every year. In five years, almost a million dollars will have been tacked on to the original amount that taxpayers approved.

We would encourage the library trustees and employees to work with the town and the Council on Aging to find ways to fill the library’s staffing needs with volunteers, or fund part of those jobs with reductions to seniors’ property tax—a program that already is in place in Harvard.