Monday Briefing - October 18, 2021

Annual Tax Cap Reminders 2022

It’s getting close to the time of year when it is recommended that libraries that go out for a public vote pass a board resolution indicating that the library will or may exceed the tax cap. This is recommended whether you intend to exceed the tax cap or not due to the potential for reporting errors. Below are some resources that may be helpful.

Local tax base growth factor: https://www.osc.state.ny.us/local-government/property-tax-cap/real-property-tax-cap-school-districts

Tax Cap formula: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/realprop/pdf/formula.pdf

OSC Online Tax Cap form: https://onlineservices.osc.state.ny.us/Enrollment/login?0

The tax cap resolution should be passed before your 2022 budget is approved. Below is an adapted checklist that will hopefully help with this process.

Tax Cap Reminders 2021.pdf

If you run into issues, calling the OSC is a good option. They have been able to guide libraries through the process in the past.

Recommended Override Language

Option One:

Use this sample resolution if you plan to pass override at the beginning of your fiscal year or at your annual meeting in advance of adopting a budget. This meets the requirements of the tax cap law while giving flexibility to the library board to adopt a budget later in the year that requires a tax levy that exceeds the tax cap or if the board approves a budget with incomplete or incorrect information to calculate the tax levy. If a library or any local government approves a tax levy that exceeds the cap (without passing the below resolutions), then these excess funds must be put in an interest-bearing account and used the following fiscal year to reduce the tax levy.

Whereas, the adoption of the (Year) budget for the (Library Name) may require a tax levy increase that exceeds the tax cap imposed by state law as outlined in General Municipal Law Section 3‐c adopted in 2011; and

Whereas, General Municipal Law Section 3‐c expressly permits the library board to override the tax levy limit by a resolution approved by a vote of sixty percent of qualified board members; now therefore be it

Resolved, that the Board of Trustees of the (Library Name) voted and approved to exceed the tax levy limit for (Year) by at least the sixty percent of the board of trustees as required by state law on (meeting date).

Option Two:

Use this sample resolution if you plan to pass the override at the same time you approve your budget, when you believe you have all the necessary data to correctly calculate your tax levy.

Whereas, the adoption of this (Year) budget for the (Library Name) requires a tax levy increase that exceeds the tax cap imposed by state law as outlined in General Municipal Law Section 3‐c adopted in 2011; and

Whereas, General Municipal Law Section 3‐c expressly permits the library board to override the tax levy limit by a
resolution approved by a vote of sixty percent of qualified board members; now therefore be it

Resolved, that the Board of Trustees of the (Library Name) voted and approved to exceed the tax levy limit for (Year) by at least the sixty percent of the board of trustees as required by state law on (meeting date).

Recent System Board Actions

Actions from the October 13, 2021 System Board Meeting:

1. Amended the Assigned Reserves Policy
2. Amended the Procurement Policy
3. Amended the NY HERO Act Plan (NY HERO Act Infection Disease Plan 2021.10.13.docx)
4. Discussed an upcoming policy focusing on defining the relationship between member libraries and the System
5. Approved the payment of $63,808.00 to Equinox
6. Approved the recent Personnel Change Report
7. Promoted Kelly Nemitz to Finance Director (congratulations, Kelly)
8. During the Annual Meeting, Liz Smith-Rossiter (Livingston County) and Jennifer Tessendorf (Ontario County) were elected to three-year terms on the System Board

Phishing Scams from Bob

Be on the lookout for suspicious-looking emails.

WARNING,

These Zimbra quota warnings that ask you to "Re-Validate" are always scams. Please do not click the links.

If your mailbox ever fills up you will receive warnings but there will be no link. Instead, just contact support@pls-net.org and we will increase your storage.

From: "Admin" <jehmtcot6@ugvcl.com>

To: "Computers and Networking Staff" <Cans@PLS-NET.ORG>
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2021 9:51:50 PM
Subject: Administration

Your Zimbra Mailbox Has Exceeded It Quota/Limit As Set By Zimbra Team, And You May Not Be Able To Send Or Receive New Mails Until You Re-Validate Your Zimbra Mailbox.To Re-Validate Cans@PLS-NET.ORG account, Please CLICK: Re- Validate Cans@PLS-NET.ORG Account

Tip from Harvard Business Review

I recently subscribed to HBR and they sometimes send out daily tips. I thought this one was worth sharing.

Own Your Personality Flaws — and Take Measures to Mitigate Them

As a senior leader, it’s probably not news to you that your personality influences how you lead. But it’s easy to lose sight of how our flaws (yes, we’ve all got them) may be directly impacting your team’s ability to carry out strategic decisions — where to focus, how to compete, and what to build (and discard). That’s why it’s important to be aware of those flaws and to take steps to mitigate them. Here are some of the common traits that can get in the way and what to do about them:

• If you err on the side of overconfidence and chronic certainty: Chances are that you fall into the trap of pushing for unrealistic strategies and overpromising what the team can actually do. Surround yourself with people who have dissenting opinions and aren't afraid to challenge you.
• If you tend to be impulsive: Perhaps you can’t resist the excitement of a new idea or the latest fad. If so, try to lean more heavily on external information to ensure that your impulses are grounded in data, and assign the strategy process to someone who can help you stay focused on execution.
• If you're overly controlling and stifle creative ideas from your employees: Your micromanaging ways may have corroded trust on the team. Push yourself to take calculated risks and allow trusted employees to test ideas and carry out experiments.
• If you worry about what others think: Your crisis of confidence may result in analysis paralysis and prevent the team from moving important priorities forward. Actively write down best- and worst-case scenarios whenever you feel self-doubt creeping in, and focus on your past successes to boost your conviction.