Duane Hicks
With town council expected to make a decision Monday night whether to help pay for a new library and technology centre here, Coun, Ken Perry said this morning that council is not “wavering” over the issue, as indicated in a headline in yesterday’s Times, but for the most part is in the same position it was last year at this time.
“Nobody’s wavering,” he argued. “We have two councillors that since last February have been fully in favour of the new library. They haven’t wavered. You have Mr. Ryan and myself, questioning [the library board] on the size of the building and the cost it. We aren’t wavering.
“And you have Mr. Albanese and Mrs. Tibbs. They have been saying since day one, show us the numbers and we’re going to make a decision.
“They’re still saying that,” Coun. Perry noted.
He reiterated that several factors, such as if the old library is not sold and if FedNor does not approve a grant for funding, will add to how much long-term debt the town will have to take on—driving the town’s portion beyond the $1.09 million in long-term debt included in the library board’s report to council on Monday.
Coun. Perry recalled that early last year, council passed a motion to contribute a maximum of $592,000 ($452,000 plus $140,000 in library reserves) to the project—and that commitment stands.
But he noted the library board then came to the town in November and said the town’s investment would have to be $634,000.
“Now, they are at $1.09 million, which is a fallacy, and we haven’t wavered,” said Coun. Perry. “Town council’s stance is exactly where it was before.
“We are considering going further. They came to us Monday night and said, ‘Can you consider $1.09 million instead of $500,000?
“Nobody’s said yes or no to that, but the indications look like it is the same it was last February. Still the same,” he stressed.
Times editor Mike Behan defended the headline.
“I initially looked at ‘Council still split over new library project,’” he admitted.
“But after reading the story, it was clear that council, as a whole, was no closer to making a decision on the library as it was six months ago, a year ago, despite all the efforts of the library board’s building committee and the amazing public fundraising.
“In that sense, the situation connoted ‘wavering’ since one definition of to waver is ‘you cannot decide about something.’
“I guess it all will come to a head Monday night,” Behan added.
Meanwhile, library board chair Joyce Cunningham clarified this morning that the $1,096,887 in long-term debt included in the report to council this past Monday is only slightly less than the $1,062,784 outlined in a report to council on April 7, 2008—a difference of about $34,000.
She added that last spring when council passed a motion to contribute $592,000 towards the project, this was not a specific amount requested by the library board but the amount council agreed upon on that time to contribute.
Cunningham noted it was clear at that time to the board, and some members of council, that contribution would not be sufficient to help build a new library.
