Library referendum results

[MyZipple]

Library referendum results

(Unofficial totals)

Yes - 1525 37.4%
No - 2556 72.6%

(that includes 291 absentee ballots where there were 148 yes and 143 no votes)

Voter turnout - more than 50%!

There was a steady stream of voters for much of the day. The weather cooperated much of the day but rain arrived for the last hour, and a number of last minute voters hustled into the Middle School gym, most with umbrellas.

It took about 20 minutes for the election workers to gather the results from the two vote-counting machines. When the totals were announced there were 25 people waiting for the totals in the corner of the gym, and another 20 in the outside hall. There were no cheers, and no obvious tears, and a lot of small groups of people who started hushed conversations. I think everyone was trying to assess the results, and to try to understand what it means for the town in the future.

It seems clear that the economy was a major factor in the nearly two to one vote against the project, but those concerns were added to the existing questions many people had about the location, the need for a library upgrade, and the lack of a town capital improvement plans.

Town officials will now have to turn their attention to dealing with the existing library building - repairs are way overdue and access for the elderly and handicapped is difficult. Unless another new library proposal can be generated fairly quickly, and gain the support of a large number of those who voted no on the existing project, it seems likely the town officials will have to propose a project to repair and upgrade the present building in the next two to three years, or risk having to close the library. Previous estimates suggested those costs would be in the $3-5m range, and leave the town with a library with less usable space than is available today. There are some difficult decisions to be made.

-- Tom


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Suffield eNews is an irregular publication with news about Suffield town government activity. It is not an official town publication. It includes comments and opinion by the author... Let me know if you want to recommend that someone be added to the mailing list. Distribution is limited to Suffield residents. Tom Frenaye, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093. 668-5444