The proposition will appear on the Town of Berlin’s Official Ballot for the General Election held at the Berlin Town Hall, on Tuesday November 4, 2025, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Town Hall is located at 17563 NY-22, Berlin, NY 12022. For more information on early voting, absentee and early mail in ballots, please click here.
In addition to the information provided on our website, the Berlin Free Town Library will hold a Community Q& A Session at the library on October 23, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
Berlin Free Town Library Proposition to Voters in the Town of Berlin Q&A:
What is the library asking of the community to decide on November 4, 2025?
Berlin Free Town Library’s Board of Trustees is asking voters to consider the approval of a tax to be paid by the property owners who reside in Berlin in order to fund a portion of the operation expenses of the library.
What is the date and location of the vote?
The proposition will appear on the the Town of Berlin’s Official Ballot for the General Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, held at the Berlin Town Hall, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., located at 17563 NY-22, Berlin, NY 12022.
What is the library funding proposition that will appear on the November 4, 2025 General Election Ballot for the Town of Berlin?
The language of the funding proposition will appear as follows:
Shall an annual contribution of the Town of Berlin for the operation budget of the Berlin Free Town Library be established in the amount of forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000)?
What changes will be made if the vote passes?
- Additional hours of operation
- Additional programs for adults, teens and children
- More funding for library materials such as books, DVDs, eBooks and other types of digital content.
What type of funding does the library currently have?
Berlin Free Town Library is currently funded by donations ($11,000 annually), funding from the Town of Berlin ($15,000 in 2025), government funding ($4,700), and income generated from the library’s investment account ($26,300) which is a total of $57,000.
Is this a new tax?
Yes, this will be a new tax that will appear on the property owner’s tax bill.
What will be the levy on property owners if this funding proposition is passed?
The annual cost to residents of the Town of Berlin to support the library by this measure will be approximately $16.00 per $100,000 of property value.
Has this method of funding for a community resource been used before in the Town of Berlin?
Yes, the Taconic Valley Ambulance in Berlin is funded in a similar manner.
Have other local town adopted a similar ballot measure?
Yes, the Town of Stephentown passed a similar funding proposition to fund their library.