Posted September 23, 2005.

Niagara Falls Public Library Wins Lawsuit against City

A New York State judge ruled September 12 that Niagara Falls must pay the full $2.1 million listed as an allocation to the two city libraries in its 2005 budget. In his decision on the lawsuit filed June 30 by Niagara Falls Public Library trustees, State Supreme Court Justice Vincent Doyle rejected Mayor Vince Anello’s argument that the city council had only agreed to fund half of that amount and has since met and exceeded the obligation, according to the September 13 Niagara Falls Reporter.

“It cannot be controverted that the budget repeatedly lists [the library’s] 2005 appropriation as $2,063,292,” Doyle wrote. By arguing that the figure represents the requested amount and not the approved allocation, Anello “asks this court to read ‘Greek’ when it sees plain ‘English,’” he added.

The court ordered the city to pay $499,000 to the library board to fulfill its obligation and keep the two libraries open for the rest of the year. The city had already agreed to pay the library an additional $80,000 per month out of its reserve fund to operate the facilities through the summer.

The library’s attorney, Ned Perlman, said in the September 15 Buffalo Business First that the additional amount would allow NFPL to reopen its local history department, which had closed because of the uncertain funding.

Posted September 23, 2005.