On June 17th, the Potsdam Public Library will ask voters to vote on a 4% budget increase, bringing our annual budget appropriation from $648,049 to $674,013. Voters will also select three Trustees.
This increase would raise our tax rate less than three cents per $1000 of assessed home value. The current tax rate is $0.686 and the proposed rate is $0.714. This would be about $2.75 more per year for a home assessed at $100,000.
We are requesting this modest increase in order to fund a Youth Librarian position, and to work toward closing the budget gap caused by inflation.
Most importantly, our recent community strategic planning process made it clear that Potsdam families want more programming and services for older children and teens. Story time for our youngest patrons has long been a PPL staple, but as kids grow up, the Library’s programming for them has been limited. Our community is asking us to do more, and we are excited to take on that challenge.
In order to meet that challenge, we need a dedicated and qualified professional Youth Librarian. The board carefully considered a range of options and concluded that in order to pay an acceptable wage, a 4% increase was the minimum needed to accomplish this, exceeding the tax cap by 1.6%.
We are also continuing to run behind inflation. In order to maintain our current levels of programming and services, we do need to keep up. Between 2015 and 2025, inflation was about 32%, but our budget grew by only 25% during that time, leaving a 7% gap. The gap widened in 2020 and 2021 when we requested no increase during the pandemic. We have been working to catch up, and this year’s increase will help us to continue in the right direction.
We are grateful to be part of a community that values its library. This year’s request is slightly less than last year’s, and reflects a genuine need identified through your feedback. We are asking for your continued support.
Trustee Candidates
Kadi Haley, a current Trustee, was elected to the board last year to serve the remainder of an unexpired term. She is now running for re-election for a full three-year term.
“I’m Kadi Haley, a North Country native and proud Potsdam resident of over ten years. I’m
running for a seat on the library board because I believe strongly in the power of public libraries to build community, spark curiosity, and ensure access to knowledge for everyone. As a mother and avid reader—raising two more!—the library has been an integral part of our family life. Whether checking out books, attending programs, or spending time in a welcoming space, the library has been essential to us. I believe deeply in the role libraries play in fostering learning, curiosity, and connection, especially in today’s complex social and political environment. I want to help ensure that experience is available to all families in our community.
“I hold a B.A. in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work. Professionally, I bring experience as a Project Manager, with strong skills in organization, communication, and collaboration which I believe will benefit the library board. I’m also a Master Food Preserver volunteer with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, where I help teach food preservation and promote sustainable living.
“Beyond reading, I enjoy gardening, cooking, knitting, and sewing—activities that connect me to tradition and creativity. I’m passionate about inclusion, sustainability, and lifelong learning. I’m especially interested in helping the library grow outreach to underserved community members and support inclusive programming. Serving as a trustee would be an honor and a natural way to support our community’s library.”
Sonja Jensen is our second Trustee candidate.
Sonja is originally from Binghamton, NY but has called the North Country home for the last ten years. The first four of those, she was in Canton studying sociology at St. Lawrence University and working at GardenShare after graduation. She has lived in Potsdam since 2020. She is currently the St. Lawrence County Mobility Manager at Volunteer Transportation Center, working to improve the county’s public transit system and other transportation programs so St. Lawrence County residents can get where they need to go. She is a former manager of the Canton Farmers Market and served as the market’s Board President. Sonja believes that libraries serve an important role in the community and society at large by providing free access to information and entertainment; a place to relax, work, and gather; and other important resources for our community. Sonja has taken advantage of many of the Potsdam Public Library’s offerings (beyond books!) including print services, tax preparation events, live music and theatrical performances, and the extensive collection of DVDs! She wants to be a trustee to help ensure that everyone can continue accessing the library and its vital services for years to come.