NewsLanc interviewed Lancaster City Mayor Richard Gray concerning the proposed $50,000, 50% cut in the city budget for support of the Lancaster Public Library on Duke Street. According to Gray:
“I hate it! To the best of my recollection, the city was the only municipality to support the proposed library tax several years. (Editor: It lost by a relatively narrow margin in an off-election year.) Libraries should have some regular source of revenue and not depend upon the municipalities.
“I also hate this recession. Earned income tax is down. The property transfer tax revenue is down. Building permits are down. And at one time we earned a million dollars a year on interest income but what we get on interest now is pocket change.
“Meanwhile cost of core services – police, fire and public works – continues to rise.
“Our revenue sharing from the federal government has been reduced every year.
“Moreover, partisan politics in Washington has made it impossible to pass a federal stimulus package of the size necessary to support municipal services.
“What we have done this year is cut just about every place we can cut.”
The incoming governor, and much of the State legislature, has promised to slash the cost of State government. It is very probable that Pennsylvania’s funding for libraries will be slashed as well. This is consistent with the current conservative philosophy that saving tax dollars is FAR more important than dealing with quality of life issues.
How many tax dollars is Lancaster City missing because of the downtown convention center/ marriott hotel being taken off the tax roles in order to appease PSP, LNP and High Industries???????