ited ▁workers ▁shift ed ▁from ▁location ▁to ▁location ▁as ▁a ▁stop g ap ▁for ▁severe ▁staff ing ▁short ages . ▁ ▁" The ▁Connecticut ▁Post " ▁reported ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁that ▁the ▁library ▁had ▁seen ▁its ▁budget ▁reduced ▁by ▁ 1 6 ▁percent ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁two ▁years . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁Fin ch ’ s ▁dr astic ▁proposal ▁that ▁ultimately ▁sp ur red ▁Scott ▁Hugh es , ▁the ▁library ▁director , ▁to ▁action . ▁ ▁Hugh es ▁fought ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁matter ▁of ▁library ▁fund ing ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁public . ▁ ▁C iting ▁a ▁long - ob sc ure ▁tax ▁law , ▁he ▁su ed ▁the ▁city ▁to ▁allow ▁a ▁library - bud get ▁refer endum ▁be ▁put ▁directly ▁to ▁vot ers ▁on ▁the ▁next ▁ball ot . ▁ ▁In ▁August , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Super ior ▁Court ▁Judge ▁David ▁Tob in ▁s ided ▁with ▁Hugh es , ▁and ▁the ▁refer endum ▁was ▁set ▁to ▁go ▁forward ▁the ▁following ▁November . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁election , ▁Hugh es ▁en list ed ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁volunte ers ▁to ▁r ally ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁refer endum ▁through ▁phone ▁calls ▁and ▁neighbor ▁education . ▁On ▁November ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁refer endum ▁- ▁which ▁guaranteed ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁$ 1 ▁million ▁every ▁year ▁to ▁the ▁library ▁- ▁passed ▁ 2 6 8 3 ▁votes ▁to ▁ 1 4 5 5 . ▁It ▁amount ed ▁to ▁roughly ▁ 4