The James Prendergast Library Board discussing the submission of additional information for the Maintenance of Effort wavier to try and prevent a cut in state aid. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

Even though the end of the year is only a month a way, the state has not yet officially approved a funding cut to the James Prendergast Library.

On Thursday, the library board approved a resolution to provide additional information to state officials about the board’s three-year compliance action plan. Tina Scott, library executive director, said Prendergast Library officials thought they had submitted all the information to state officials for the Maintenance of Effort waiver process. However, state officials still want additional information, which also includes a notarized letter from the board detailing why the state should keep library funding at previous levels.

Scott told The Post-Journal that the Prendergast Library is only the second library in the state to go through the Maintenance of Effort waiver process, so she believes state library officials are trying to thoroughly go through the process before officially cutting the library’s funding by 25% this year.

Scott has been told unofficially by state officials that the facilities funding will be cut by 25% this year and completely next year, which is a total decrease of $111,000. She said that is why library officials are continuing to plan for the community funding vote next year.

Last month, library officials approved a resolution seeking for voter approval of $350,000 in funding. The vote will take place in May and will include residents who reside inside the Jamestown Public Schools territory. If voters approve funding for the library, the state will not decrease its funding.

The state is lowering the library’s funding because of the $300,000 in total cuts city officials made in 2017 and 2018. Jamestown officials cut the library’s funding by more than 5% in a two-year period, which led to the Maintenance of Effort process. Because of its own financial issues, city officials cut funding to the Prendergast Library by 50% ($50,000) in 2018 and 71% ($250,000) in 2017.

The state’s Maintenance of Effort for Public Library Systems clause tries to ensure that local municipalities fund library operations so the state isn’t the only taxing entity supporting the facility.

In other business, library officials approved a resolution to sell the last remaining oil painting with no reserve price during a future auction at Stair Galleries. Scott said following the last oil painting auction in February, one of the paintings didn’t sell because it received a bid that was $1,000 lower than the reserve price. She said library and gallery officials did receive a post-auction bid, but the sale never finalized. She added that is why library officials have decided to auction the painting again with no reserve price.

The painting is Charles Victor Thirion’s “Paysanne De La Creuse,” which had a sales estimate of $25,000 to $35,000.