On Monday, December 18, 2023, the Amherst Town Council voted 12-0-1 to increase the borrowing cap for the Jones Library Building Project. Over 60 people attended the meeting in person in the Town Room and dozens more participated online. Public comments were 2:1 in favor of continuing the Library Renovation and Expansion.
The Council vote follows 5 weeks of deliberation on the Town Manager’s November 13, 2023 request to the Town Council to amend their April 5, 2021 decision to reflect the current project budget of $46.1 million, up from $36.3 million approved previously.
This Council action was necessary because the MA Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) requires towns to authorize borrowing for the total project cost, not simply the municipal share. In her comments, Council President Griesemer emphasized that the Library borrowing will not raise taxes because there is no debt exclusion override for the project. Furthermore, the Town’s $15.8 million commitment remains the same as Council and voters approved in 2021, with changes only due to interest rates.
The cost difference will be borne by fundraising efforts and funds available to the library. Speaking after the vote, Trustees President Austin Sarat expressed his confidence in the process. “I thank the Town Council for their thoughtful deliberations and support of the plan to renovate and expand the Jones Library. Councilors, Trustees, and members of other Town bodies have been diligent in their efforts to clarify the financial commitments involved.”
“If Council had not amended the borrowing cap, the project could not proceed, and we would have forfeited over $23 million in public and private funding commitments.” Sarat continued. “The Council's action allows us to move to the next phase of the project, soliciting construction bids and then breaking ground."
“The Council's action allows us to move to the next phase of the project, soliciting construction bids and then breaking ground."
Dating back to 2017, when Amherst Town Meeting approved the Jones Library’s application to the MBLC construction program, the total project cost was estimated to be $36.3 million. Project estimates jumped in Summer 2022 due to delays and COVID-related cost spikes. In response, Town and Library officials re-assessed project feasibility: the Building Committee and architects identified more than $2 million in cuts; the Trustees assessed the strength of the endowment to cover a funding gap if necessary; and the Capital Campaign committee expanded fundraising efforts. In September 2022, the Town Council and the Trustees agreed to continue with plans, signing an amended Memorandum of Agreement based on borrowing projections available at that time.
Subsequent cost estimates have stabilized, and fundraising remains strong. In addition to $1 million grants from Amherst College and the National Endowment for the Humanities, individual donors have pledged over $2.7 million. As of December 1, 2023, proponents have secured over $38.8 million from all sources, representing more than 84% of the estimated cost of $46.1 million.
