What is Chapter 414?
Chapter 414 of the laws of 1995 in New York state, hereafter referred to as “Chapter 414,” enables libraries of any type to put their budget up for a public vote, held on election day, to establish the municipal budget appropriation for the library. Should the vote pass, the municipality will fund the library at the approved level. Chapter 414 does not change the charter of the library. It only impacts the municipal appropriation for the library. The amount approved will remain unchanged until another Chapter 414 vote is initiated by the library board. Should a subsequent 414 vote fail the amount approved through the previous successful vote remains in effect. Should the initial vote fail the library will need to negotiate with the municipality for funding as it has done in the past. This means initial contact with a town supervisor and town board prior to a library’s first 414 vote should include a discussion about the realities of a failure and how the town would fund the library in
