Determining Eligibility for a Waiver of the FY2009 Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR)
FY2009 STATE AID TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES PROGRAM
The Board of Library Commissioners will consider requests for waivers of the FY2009 Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR) from municipalities that demonstrate fiscal hardship. Requests for waivers must include the following documentation and must be received by the MBLC State Aid and Data Coordination Unit with a postmark no later than October 17, 2008:
1. a signed Petition for Waiver of the FY2009 Municipal Appropriation Requirement.
2. a completed FY2008/FY2009 Total Municipal Operating Budget Worksheet
3. supporting municipal budget document(s) (such as copies of warrant articles or summary pages from the municipal budget), listing the FY2008 and FY2009 total operating and departmental budgets for the municipality,
4. a statement from a municipal official:
a. citing the fiscal hardship surrounding the municipality's inability to meet the FY2009MAR,
b. explaining the municipality's FY2009 budget process regarding the library,
c. providing evidence that any reduction to the library budget is not disproportionate relative to changes in other municipal departments and the overall municipal budget.
5. a cover letter from the library director and trustee chair, with enclosures if appropriate, explaining the library's FY2009 budget process and reasons why the community did not comply with the FY2009 MAR. (Examples of enclosures include: narratives from municipal officials describing the fiscal situation, text of referenda.)
Any additional supporting documentation must be submitted to the State Aid Unit by November 14, 2008, or the municipality will not be eligible for a waiver of the FY2009 MAR.
The Waiver Review Process
According to Massachusetts General Laws, c.78, s19A:
"No city or town shall receive any money under this section in any year when the appropriation of said city or town for free public library services is below an amount equal to the average of its appropriation for free public library service for the three years immediately preceding, increased by two and one-half per cent of said average. Said board may, upon petition of a community, waive aforesaid requirement upon demonstration of fiscal hardship. "
The number of waivers available for FY2009 will not be determined until the budget language is final for FY2009.
1. Petitions for a waiver will be reviewed by the Board of Library Commissioners at their January 2009 meeting.
2. All petitioners for a waiver determined to have a disproportionate cut to their budget must present their petition in person at the January 2009 meeting.
3. The Board of Library Commissioners will review FY2009 MAR Waiver Petitions based on:
a. evidence of municipal fiscal hardship, and
b. demonstration by the municipality that the library's budget was not disproportionately reduced
4. The Board of Library Commissioners will vote on the petitions for waivers of the FY2009 MAR at their February 2009 meeting.
Initial Approval of Policy: February 7, 2002
FY2009 Approval Date: January 3, 2008
State Aid Policies are approved annually