Skaneateles voters to decide on $991,294 library tax levy increase

Skaneateles voters will decide whether to nearly double the library’s annual tax levy, a move that would raise the Skaneateles Library Association request to $991,294 and push the bill on a $1 million home from $120 a year to $243.

The proposition on Tuesday, May 19, is split between $453,560 for operations and $537,734 for annual debt service on a 25-year bond. Library leaders say approval would give the association the funding needed to support a bond of up to $8.55 million and keep the new building project moving while covering day-to-day service inside the current and future library.

The vote lands at a pivotal point in a project that has stretched over years. The board selected 75 Fennell Street in October 2020 after reviewing 19 sites, and the Town of Skaneateles sold the property for $413,000 in 2022. Village planning documents dated May 11, 2026 describe plans for a 14,913-square-foot library, a 392-square-foot restaurant, a 197-square-foot retail store, 37 parking spaces and a 99-seat event space with a 148-square-foot kitchen.

Those plans also passed through the Village of Skaneateles Planning Board, which discussed site plan review, a critical impact permit, a special use permit recommendation and variance requests tied to the project. The library says the new building is meant to serve the corridor near Fennell Street, Austin Park and Skaneateles Creek, with the site chosen to improve access and create more public green space.

Funding for the project already includes more than $7 million from private donations, New York State grants and Skaneateles Library Investment Foundation grants. The library says nearly half the cost of the new building is already covered, and it will continue fundraising so additional grants and donations can reduce borrowing.

The proposal also comes after a smaller levy increase in 2025, when voters approved an annual library levy of $428,560 following a $25,000 increase request. This year’s request is far larger because it is meant to carry both the operating budget and the debt tied to the new building, turning Tuesday’s vote into a direct test of how much Skaneateles residents want to pay for the library’s next chapter.

The library says comparable Central New York communities spend 1.5 to 4 times more on library taxes, a comparison that will likely matter to taxpayers weighing the cost against the expanded building and services the project is meant to deliver. The Skaneateles Central School District’s 2026-2027 budget vote is also set for Tuesday at the district office on East Elizabeth Street, putting two public funding questions before district residents on the same day.