The John Jermain Memorial Library, the public library in Sag Harbor, NY, donated to the community by Mrs. Russel Sage in 1910.

Over the intervening near century, Sag Harbor has made good use of her donation. The library has remained in its original home, adapting its programs and collection to the whims of various eras. Over the years, the inside of the building has seen a few changes — mainly the addition of many more “stacks” — the library term for bookshelves — to accommodate its growing collection. In addition a small renovation was undertaken about 15 years ago to allow the basement, formerly a storage area, to be used as a public space with a handicapped accessible entrance and bathroom. Minor repairs, and necessary replacements (the boiler, for instance) have also been undertaken, and paid for from the library’s operating budget, with monies provided by the taxpayers of the Sag Harbor school district, as are virtually all of the library’s operating expenses.

Other than the work on the basement, however, the taxpayers have not been asked to foot the bill for any refurbishment or expansion of the library building in its entire 99 years of existence. We’ve all been getting a free ride courtesy of Mrs. Sage’s commitment to high end materials and quality construction. She built it to last, and last it did…until now.

Members of the community who attended the public meeting hosted by the Library on the evening of Monday, April 20th, saw a presentation by Victor Conseco, president of Sandpebble Builders, the firm hired by the Library to do a cost analysis of its plan to refurbish and expand the building. As he spoke about the various factors that must be taken into consideration: restoration, code compliance and expansion, Mr. Conseco flipped through a depressing slide show of disrepair. From a decaying roof, to water-damaged plaster, from inadequate wiring to masonry in need of serious repointing, his presentation revealed the kind of wear and tear that is nearly invisible to regular users of the library, but jumps out at a fresh pair of eyes, especially ones trained to see these conditions.

So, as it turns out, while Mrs. Sage did a great service to many generations of Sag Harborites in providing us a library building that was seemingly capable of lasting forever, her meticulous attention to quality also misled us into believing we did not have to plan and pay for the care that any heavily used, aging structure requires. For generations, we’ve continued to rely on Mrs. Sage’s investment to pay dividends by providing us with a functional, usable library. As with any investment, though, the capital must be preserved. In this case the capital is the building, and it has been, if not squandered, at least diminished by our lack of attention.

No one can deny that Mrs. Sage’s investment in a library for Sag Harbor has paid a bountiful return on her investment. However, at this point in the building’s life a new injection of capital is required. It’s our bill to pay, and it’s long overdue.

However, I’d like to focus for a minute, not on the unfair reassessment, but on the general tax rates on the East End, as compared to those in the surrounding areas. Over the years I’ve lived in Sag Hampton, I’ve heard lots of complaints about high taxes. In the late ’80s and early ’90s when I served on the local school board, that issue was the 800 lb. gorilla in the room at every school board meeting. More recently, I’ve read that high taxes were driving lower and middle income families out of the area. I’ve always nodded and agreed with those doing the complaining — ’cause, like I said, no one (including me) likes to pay taxes.

But, quietly, I’ve always wondered about this. My taxes, in fact, never seemed that high to me, especially compared with what I heard people were paying elsewhere on Long Island. But, I never voiced this opinion, thinking that maybe there was something I didn’t understand. I certainly didn’t want to advertise to others that I thought my property taxes were low. I thought it would seem arrogant, or something…

Then I read this in last Sunday’s New York Times. Oops, maybe I wasn’t crazy after all. And then I saw this, also in the same Times article. Wow! I’m not moving to Pelham, that’s for damn sure. It’s certainly a shock to see that taxes in the various communities that make up Sag Hampton are among the lowest in the New York metro area — and  that’s across the board from Quogue to Montauk.

So, while there are many factors driving lower- and middle-class residents out out this area, it seems that taxes may not be one of them. OK, I know school district spending is out of control, and needs to be reigned in. But all that means is that we could be paying even lower taxes. So, what am I missing? If you think I’m wrong about this, leave a comment and let me know where I’m going wrong. Or, if you are one of the few who doesn’t mind paying your tax bill, I’d like to hear from you too.