Budget Vote Day: May 19th

Polls are open from 7am to 9pm

• Residents in the Altamont Elementary School boundaries will vote at Altamont.
• Residents in Pine Bush and Lynnwood Elementary School boundaries will vote at Pine Bush.
• Residents in the Guilderland and Westmere Elementary Schools will vote at Westmere.

More information can be found at guilderlandschools.org.

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The 2026-2027 budget was presented at the March 17th, 2026 Finance Committee meeting and voted on at the March 19th, 2026 Full Board meeting. 

ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS

The library’s budget is developed by the library director, the Board Treasurer, and the Board Finance Committee at a public committee meeting. It is then presented to the full Board and discussed in a public meeting before being approved by the full Board. The Board approves both the total budget and the tax levy being presented to the voters.

Some budget facts:

• The yearly budget is developed in an open process, reviewed in public meetings, and approved by the Board of Trustees. Then, it is presented to the voters.
• The public gets to vote on the library’s tax levy every May (there is no vote if the tax levy does not increase).
• As a local government, Guilderland Public Library budgets fall under the tax cap regulations established by the NYS comptroller.
• The library’s major operating costs are: salaries and benefits to the library staff; maintenance and operation of the building; cost of computers and software for public and staff; purchase of books, periodicals, databases, and other borrowable materials; and programming for the community.

Board Candidates

Matthew Grunert

Professional Experience: I am an information technology consultant working for a local non-profit in support of New York’s state and local governments, where I’ve managed several enterprise software implementation projects. Prior to beginning my consulting career, I was a systems administrator for the NYS Office of the State Comptroller. My deep technical background is uniquely complemented by my excellent leadership, communication, and change management skills. This experience makes me an ideal candidate to continue work on the Board as a trusted advisor in shepherding our library’s development as Guilderland’s quintessential third place.

Education:

• MBA, SUNY Albany, May 2025
• BS, Computer Science, SUNY Albany, May 2013
• BS, Criminal Justice, SUNY Albany, May 2013
• High School Diploma, Immaculate Heart Central, June 2009

How long have you lived in Guilderland? I’ve been a Guilderland resident since graduating high school in 2009, when I moved to town to attend UAlbany—seventeen years!

Family Information: My wife, Kayla, and I just celebrated our tenth year together.

Community Activities: In addition to my current role working for a non-profit, I’ve had the honor to serve on the Board of Trustees for the previous year. I’ve previously served as a firefighter with Westmere Fire Department and Fire Commissioner with the Westmere Fire District. My dog, Oatmeal, and I are certified by Love on a Leash as a therapy pet team (catch us at Paws2Read on certain Saturdays!). Finally, I am an active member of the local YMCA and I curl at the Albany Curling Club.

What role have libraries played in your life? How have you benefited from GPL? I’ve always found refuge in libraries. As a child, the local library was my primary source of learning and entertainment, and I’d volunteer there over the summers. As I grew into a young adult, I found that same calm, quiet acceptance in the university libraries. Now I find GPL’s commitment to community to be a fixture of my adult life. From grabbing a new read at the “checkout aisle,” to a board game for the weekend with my wife, to a study room midday to work, GPL has become my third place.

What is the last good book you read? The last good book I read was Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer: sci-fi mystery from an unreliable narrator, what’s not to love?

I am interested in becoming a candidate for the Library Board of Trustees because: I am interested in continuing my time on the Board of Trustees because the work we’ve started this past year is far from over, and I believe that I have unique and complementary perspectives to add to that conversation. I am a strong proponent of good governance, responsible civics, and community engagement as a driver of organizational success. This past year I’ve worked to modernize our library’s policies, negotiate contracts with our members’ labor unions, facilitate development of our physical building, and build stronger ties between the town and school boards. However, there’s still more work to do as we build our library into Guilderland’s Living Room; our community’s quintessential third place: calm, comfortable, and accessible; publicly funded, and for the public. Thank you for your time, and I’d appreciate your vote next month!

Antonio (Tony) Rivera

Professional Experience: I work as an infectious diseases pharmacist at the Albany VA hospital. I have been there for nearly 20 years. Some of my other work experiences have been as a retail pharmacist and an adjunct instructor at SUNY Schenectady. Working in healthcare and as an adjunct instructor has shown me the importance of efficient and effective communication.

Education:

• Cayuga Community College, A.S., Math/Science

• Binghamton University, B.S. Psychobiology

• Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Pharm.D.

• Clarkson University – Healthcare MBA

How long have you lived in Guilderland? 14 years.

Family Information: My wife, Seema, and I have two daughters, Lily (16) and Sage (12).

Community Activities: I have been a member of the Guilderland Public Library Board of Trustees since 2021. Years ago, I coached my daughters softball team.

What role have libraries played in your life? How have you benefited from GPL?Many good memories of the Guilderland Library with my family. When my kids were younger, they enjoyed many of the library’s offerings, like reading to furry friends, scavenger hunts, and many of the activities. They also enjoyed talking about books, Launch Pads, and games. Now that they are older, they still enjoy books and games.

What is the last good book you read? I have not had time to read for fun in a while. But one of my favorites is a book I had to read in college, The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance. It was part of an anthropology course on the co-evolution of disease and society. It sparked my interest in infectious diseases.

I am interested in becoming a candidate for the Library Board of Trustees because: I enjoy the community setting of the library. My family and I have benefited from the library, and I would like to give back. Over the past 5 years, the library has had many positive changes, and I would like to continue to be involved in the library’s growth and development. I would like to explore the potential to develop other services, such as community gardens, maker spaces with 3D printers, and expand classes and seminars on retirement, personal health, and saving for college.