Jones Library Trustees Candidates Weigh in on Library Borrowing and Transparency

As we have done in previous elections, the Indy offered candidates for the offices of Town Council, School Committee, and Library Trustee an opportunity to post personal campaign statements in our publication. We also offered candidates an opportunity to respond to a brief questionnaire in order to give voters a clear indication of where they stand on some of the pressing issues facing our town. Invitations were sent to all candidates in early October.

The candidates’ unedited responses to two questions appear below. We did not receive a response from Farah Ameen. Responses to questionnaires for Town Council and School Committee appear elsewhere in this issue.

Find a comprehensive compilation of information on the November Election here.

1. Should the town pay, or be at risk for, any more than the $15.8 million (+ $9 million in debt service) that has been authorized thus far for the Jones library demolition and renovation project and if so, is there an upper limit to what the town should provide?

Lee Edwards
The Trustees have repeatedly assured the Town and the public that the Town will not be asked to pay any more than the $15.8 million that has been authorized thus far. Funds beyond this amount that are required to complete the project will be paid for by funds not supplied by the Town. $15.8 is the amount the town has promised. It will NOT pay more.

Tamson Ely
The town will not be liable for any more funds than it has already allocated for the project. The remaining funds are being raised by the Capital Campaign Committee. which has already secured significant federal and state grants, and many private donations.

Eugene Goffredo
The Town’s share of the Renovation and Expansion remains $15.8 million, the amount approved by Amherst voters 65% to 35%, by Town Council 10-2-1, and by Town Meeting in prior years. The rest is the responsibility of the Trustees, via their fundraising agreement with the non-profit Friends of the Jones Libraries. As of October 1, fundraising commitments total over $37.6 million, covering over 85% of the estimated cost. Any further delay comes at greater cost and increasing risk. Material, labor, and regulatory costs only increase over time. The risk to collections and library service interruptions, powerfully demonstrated this August when the Jones was closed for several days due to yet more flooding through the unfixable atrium roof, will only increase as infrastructure continues to age and weather continues to become more extreme. There are also real opportunity costs of any further delays: The Jones becoming a net zero structure from its current status as the highest municipal user of fossil fuels; Not having adequate facilities for current programming and collections; And the loss of all the time-sensitive state and federal grants. To my knowledge, no one is asking for more funds from the Town. The necessary increase in debt authorization does not change the Town’s share of project costs. The voters of Amherst have already decided to support the renovation and expansion. The job now is to build. Further distraction and delay only put our library and other capital projects at risk.

Ed McGlynn
I left the candidate forum Wednesday with a sense of a lack of empathy from the four incumbent Trustees towards the citizens of Amherst who are concerned with the cost and size of the project. It is of great concern to me that those in power, no matter how lofty the goals, who handle the People’s money do so with the entire community in mind, even those who disagree with their high aspirations. Though I do appreciate the efforts made by the Trustees on behalf of the future of our library system I cannot say that I support the $15,800,000+$9,000,000 of townspeople’s money for the current proposed demolition/expansion project while other needs continue to fall by the wayside. I can say that if the decisions are made for the project to move forward I will give my best efforts to assist in the success of that process.

Robert Pam
The Town commitment of $15.8M is fixed.  Debt service costs may change if interest rates rise or fall.  Beyond that, I believe there will be, and should be no further contributions from the Town toward the project.

Austin Sarat
We have a sound financial plan for the renovation and expansion project. We have had extraordinary success in raising funds to help finance that project. I believe that the town’s share is an appropriate contribution to a project that will revitalize the Jones library and contribute to the well-being of the for decades to come.


2. The Jones library is a private entity funded increasingly by public dollars. As such, the public has an interest in how the Jones operates.  What would you do to make those operations more transparent and accessible to the public?  Will you pledge to support recording all trustees meetings and making those recordings available to the public in a timely manner?

Lee Edwards
I have no objection to recording trustee meetings.

Tamson Ely
Meetings at the library have always been open to the public and current meetings conducted over Zoom are recorded.. We have always been transparent and have no wish to hide our proceedings,. Significant operating funds come from the endowment, Friends of the Jones Libraries contributions and state aid funds. The major town funds for the library cover full time staff only.

Eugene Goffredo
To my knowledge, the current Trustees follow the Open Meeting Law requirements. Meetings are announced in advance, agendas are published in advance, meetings are open to the public, in person or via Zoom as appropriate. All the meetings have public comment segments, and to my knowledge most, if not all meetings, have members of the public in attendance. If elected to join the Trustees, I would pledge to support exploring what is involved in recording the sessions at a level appropriate for Town government. Certainly, the expanded and modernized facilities in the Jones could more easily accommodate recording Trustee meetings than the current facilities.

Ed McGlynn
I am only beginning to learn the operations of the Jones Library.  My priority would be to continue to do more to reach out to marginalized people so that they are fully engaged and participating in the decision making process.

I do pledge to support recording all trustees meetings and making those recordings available to the public in a timely manner.

Robert Pam
All meetings of the Board and its committees are advertised and open to the public.  I would support recordings if costs to do so are reasonable, and technical skills do not become a qualification for becoming a trustee.

Austin Sarat
I support efforts to ensure that the operations of the library are transparent and comply with all of the requirements of the Open Meeting Law and other relevant freedom of information requirements. I believe that meetings on zoom should be recorded and made available in a timely manner. Whether we can record in person meetings will have to depend on the availability of staff members can do such recording.