Vineland Daily Journal

VINELAND – City voters Tuesday closed the book on plans to raise the dedicated property tax that supports Vineland Public Library.

A tax increase proposal was defeated 7,466 to 7,353 in a binding referendum, according to unofficial results.

The vote caps months of tension between Mayor Anthony Fanucci's administration and and library supporters over how much money the facility spends.

The library collected enough signatures, starting in July, to qualify the question for Tuesday's ballot.

The question asked voters to support a tax rate increase from 3.3 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation to 5 cents per $100. The increase, it was estimated, would raise an additional $687,767.

The increase would have meant about $57 in additional taxes annually for the typical Vineland property owner.

A property valued at $159,402 would have seen its library tax rise by $28.68 per year to $86.04. The new rate, had it been approved, would have been effective for a 10-year period.

An interpretive statement accompanying the ballot question stated the 5-cent tax rate would have raised $2,063,025 per year.

In 2018, the library tax is expected to raise about $1.375 million. The tax, as of this year, is the library’s only funding source.

New Jersey law establishes a dedicated tax supporting “free public libraries” where they exist. Until this year, Vineland's city government had provided additional funding to the city's library to support its operations.

But that changed in 2018, when Fanucci accused the library of "financial mismanagement," which library officials denied. Fanucci said the city would no longer provide hundreds of thousands of extra dollars to compensate for what he characterized as the library's "overspending."

That prompted the East Landis Avenue facility to institute emergency cutbacks, such as reduced hours of operation, and pursue the tax increase in an attempt to ensure a successful long-term strategy.

Supporters of the increase said that, without the money, the library could experience more reduced hours, staff reductions and fewer programs for patrons of all ages.

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