The Avon Free Library is planning for long-term stability.
We’re proposing a simpler, more transparent way for voters to decide how the library is funded, without changing the total amount of tax support for the library.
This will appear on the November 4th, 2025 ballot as the following proposition:
“Shall the Town of Avon be authorized to levy and collect taxes in the annual amount of two hundred seventy-nine thousand dollars ($279,000) for the operating budget of the Avon Free Library and pay over such monies to the Trustees of the Avon Free Library?”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this proposition all about?
The proposition gives voters the power to directly decide how much tax support the Avon Free Library receives. Instead of the Town and Village boards allocating funds each year, this change allows residents to vote on library funding at the ballot box.
If the vote passes, the Town of Avon will collect the taxes on the library’s behalf and turn over funds to the Avon Free Library Board of Trustees.
Is this a new tax?
This is not a new tax nor a new taxing district; It simply shifts who decides how much funding the library receives. The decision is going from appointed officials to the voters themselves.
Will the library tax go up every year?
No. Any increase in funding will be proposed by the Library Board of Trustees, but must be directly approved by a majority vote in a town-wide general election. In this way, voters will have a greater voice in how their tax dollars are spent.
How is the library currently funded?
Currently, the library receives a total of $279,000 in tax-supported funding:
- $170,000 in taxes collected through the Avon School District
- $57,000 in financial support out of the Town’s annual operating budget
- $52,000 in financial support out of the Village’s annual operating budget
Click here for a complete breakdown of the library’s 2025 operating budget.
How much of the library’s annual budget comes from taxes?
87% of the library’s annual operating budget comes from local tax support, however, only the portion raised through the school district (53% of the library’s annual operating budget) is subject to a public vote and considered “secure funding” for the library.
According to the New York State Library, the OWWL Library System, and the general Library Community as a whole, communities are best served by their libraries when the public has an opportunity to vote on a funding proposition that will generate at least 90% of the library’s operating revenue.
This proposition would transition all 87% of the library’s tax-support to secure funding, directly approved by the people of Avon.
What will happen to the library’s current funding from the school district ballot?
If the proposition passes in November 2025, the Avon Free Library will hold a vote in May 2026 to remove the funding currently raised through the Avon Central School District. This ensures taxpayers are not paying twice for library services.
What are the benefits of this proposition?
- Gives taxpayers a direct voice to support library funding
- Provides greater transparency to the taxpayers
- Ensures sustainable library funding from year to year
- Allows the library to better serve the community and plan for the future
- Library funding would now come from one, streamlined municipal source
Why do we still need libraries?
Libraries are more essential than ever, especially as one of the last public spaces people can use without needing to spend money.
The Avon Free Library provides far more than books and movies. We offer:
- Health and wellness support for families
- Wi-Fi hotspots, museum, and park passes
- Digital literacy and job search help
- A safe space for teens and a cooling/heating center during extreme weather
- Enriching programs for all ages
In 2024 alone, our patrons saved over $1.3 million by borrowing materials instead of buying them.
Learn more in our 2024 Community Impact Report.
What do I do if I still have questions?
Contact Grace Frenzel, Library Director, at gfrenzel@owwl.org or call 585-226-8461.
