If not for public comment, Tuesday night's Coplay Borough Council meeting would have been over in 20 minutes.

The first 30 minutes of the 50-minute meeting was devoted to comments regarding the future of the Coplay Public Library. A question on the May primary ballot will ask residents whether they favor a .38-mill tax to support the library. (See related story on library funding, this page).

Mel Procanyn

Requesting permission to ask questions of Solicitor James Preston, resident Mel Procanyn asked who was eligible to vote on the referendum and whether the borough was permitted by law to inform residents about the referendum.

Preston said all registered voters may vote, regardless of party. What the borough would be allowed to say about the referendum would depend on the wording. But he did not explain further.

"It's going to be in the newsletter next month," interjected Council President Lou Bodish.

When Procanyn asked who wrote the actual referendum question and submitted it to the Lehigh County Election Board, he met with resistance from the solicitor.

"I don't know that these questions are appropriate," said Preston. "Am I to be deposed here this evening?"

Preston said Procanyn may ask any question he wishes through council and that, with council's authorization, he would get back to him with the answers.

"But I am not willing to be deposed," he said.

Procanyn then addressed council.

"My question is are we establishing a new taxation for the library – yes or no?"

"If that comes to pass on the referendum, there will be a separate line item [in real estate tax bills] as a library tax," Bodish said.

Procanyn asked if the borough would continue to provide additional funding for the library if the referendum passes.

The borough's 2013 budget includes $28,332 for the library. This represents the $16,500 provided in 2012 plus an additional $11,832 meant to make up the shortfall created when the Whitehall-Coplay School District cut funding from $72,000 to $48,000 for the 2012-13 school year.

If the borough continues to give money to the library from its annual budget, Procanyn said, then the tax paid by each property owner for the library actually will be higher than .38 mills, or $38 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

Bodish said borough officials can't answer Procanyn's question because too many variables exist.

"We would have to answer that question once when we do a budget," Bodish said. "You're talking about something that might not come up."

Daniel Rabenold

"In my opinion, the library is essential to the existence of our borough," said resident Daniel Rabenold, reading from a prepared statement. "Libraries are one of the first aspects thought of when considering what makes any town, right along with the post office, emergency services and parks and recreation."

Having its own library is one of the features that defines Coplay as an independent community. It also provides residents with an opportunity to learn, he said.

"Without that most basic modern opportunity, the overall well being of our borough collective mind will surely begin to regress," he said. Closing the library for lack of funds would be "unjustified punishment to the people of this town," Rabenold said.

Councilman Charles Sodl voiced concern about people pleading the library's case to council.

"I get the feeling that people are directing their anger, maybe, at the council. And I wish that wouldn't happen because we're only one vote as a landowner, as a taxpayer," he said.

Adding he supports the library, Sodl said the borough doesn't have the money to fund it from its own coffers.

"The only way to try to resolve it is ask the taxpayers if they want to pay for it. That's the only thing we can do," Sodl said. "I don't want the thought out there that council is against it."

Bodish said council members represent only seven individuals out of a population of more than 3,000.

"Eventually the taxpayer is the one that winds up paying for a library so they should have the vote to say if they want to pay for it," he said. "We all agree it is not fair for us seven to decide we're going to raise your taxes by so much to support that library ... Seven people are not going to make that decision for this town."

Kathy Boyer

"I just want to say thank you to council for putting forth the referendum, for agreeing it is up to the taxpayers," said resident Kathy Boyer.

One of the things that attracted her to Coplay when she moved there 16 years ago was the fact that children could walk to the library.

"That is so critical to a young person's development," she said, adding it's a "safe place" for youth to go after school.

Mark Sullivan

At the end of 2012, the Coplay Public Library had 1,484 registered patrons, said Mark Sullivan, district consultant librarian for Lehigh and Carbon counties. It's logical to assume most of them are borough residents.

"Even if you took a few hundred away from that number whose home library might be Whitehall or Catasauqua or some other library, you're still talking about 30 to 40 percent of borough residents being active card holders," he said.

People evaluate a community by services it provides as well as by cultural and civic organizations.

"None of those organizations or community services come close to being utilized by 30 percent or more of any community's residents," he said.

It's also important to remember libraries serve as "the great equalizer," giving access to resources that some might not otherwise have.

He described the referendum as "a potential field of dreams. If you fund it they will come. Or, more precisely, if you fund it, more will come because the library is being used well already."

Councilman Matthew Recker asked if Sullivan had information on how many new card holders signed up in the last three years.

Sullivan said he had only information submitted on state reports which indicates an 18 percent increase in the number of patrons from 2011 to 2012.

"We are a limited community as far as building and adding on," said Sodl, "so I'm not sure, Mr. Recker, what those new members would mean to us."

Recker said he was simply curious to know the answer.

"But then I might ask the same thing about the pool," Sodl said.

Councilman Bill Leiner Jr. said he had been told that no libraries in the state have been forced to shut down due to a funding crises. "If we close down, we'll have that distinction of being the first," he said, asking Sullivan if this is true.

Sullivan said no libraries that receive state funding have closed since 2006, when he first entered the library business.