The self-appointed Westhampton, N.Y., library board on Dec. 14 rejected attempts by citizens to join the board, prompting a strong protest that was posted on the website of the citizens.

“Many other association libraries allow their taxpayer voters to decide who they feel is qualified, whose platform and vision might represent what each of them wishes to see in their community library that they financially support,” said the posting on “Free the Westhampton Free Library” website.

Free the Westhampton Library“Six self-appointed trustees have quite a lot of power based on an 1897 charter establishing our multimillion dollar taxpayer-funded library as a private corporation,” says the posting.

Sabina Trager, former library administrative assistant who has been seeking to join the board since June, said she will vote against the annual library budget until fiscal responsibility is shown by the board.

She is especially concerned about plans to spend $1 million on a parking lot when the library is little used ten months of the year. She and others are also opposed to spending nearly $3 million on construction costs on a building that is only seven years old. Thomas Moore, library board president, is the husband of Westhampton Beach Mayor Maria Moore which some citizens say compromises the independence of the board. Mayor Moore herself had quit the library board after protests were made.

The website continues:

“Contract districts must vote yes to receive any library services. But the elected board issue is still pertinent because the opinions and ideas of contract patrons may influence potential trustee candidates—which is what our democracy is based on: the free flow of ideas and representation with our taxation.

“As it is, over $4 million cash sits in the library bank accounts (over and above the nearly $3 million annual operating budget), and only administration and management (non-union employees) received wage increases after this budget increase passed in May, which I feel is unacceptable. Plus, the employees should come before the building.”

The website seeks participation by the citizens of Westhampton and several other towns and villages served by the library.