District Library Millage Proposal - Don Taylor/Shirley Ehnis
Posted by Chuck Chase
on Apr 03, 2015
Don Taylor, who is chairman of the 30-member Citizens for the Adrian District Library Committee, spoke to members today about the vote scheduled for May 5th. The Adrian City Commission in December of 2014 approved a 3-year lease of the building for $1 per year to the district and suggested that the City library convert to a District library so that it could have its own budget supported by the millage to be voted upon by city residents only in early May.The purpose of his committee, Don said, was to encourage everyone in the city to learn as much as they can about this proposal and eventually support it. A district library would mean that it would be independent from the City and its general operating budget. The proposal will ask voters to approve a 2.5 mil levy which would generate approximately $900,000 each year for the next 10 years dedicated to the new district library which would insure stable, secure funding. Property owners now pay 1 mil to support the library now. The new millage would reinstate that 1 mil plus add an additional 1.5 mils.
Don put things into perspective for the audience by showing how much the city’s revenue had declined by some $4M over the past 7 years as a result of falling property taxes due to lower assessments (30-40%) and smaller distribution of the state’s revenue sharing allocation to Adrian than the city has been accustomed to over that period of time.
The city’s general budget, he said, went from $12.2M in 2002 to $13.3M in 2007 and down to $9.3M in the past fiscal year. Don said that 78% of all libraries in Michigan are funded through millages. Up to today, our library is part of the 8% that are funded strictly by local governments. Some 65% of operating dollars go to personnel at state-wide libraries of all sizes, he said, Relative to Adrian’s library, 46% goes to personnel while the balance of the monies is allocated to such things as programming and books. Cuts made to our library include: reduction of library hours from 55 hours per week down to 50 hours; the elimination of two fulltime and one part time staff members in 2011; holding off on important maintenance issues, etc.
In the 2009-2010 fiscal year the library offered 356 programs. Today that number is down to 170. Among the programs and materials offered today are: audio books, books, reference materials, loft area, meeting rooms, electronic data bases, computers for those who do not have one at home.
Don told the audience that in the event this millage vote fails there would be a reduction to the existing budget of $140,000, more staff reductions would need to be made, there would be a further reduction of resources (by 750 books per year), another reduction to the hours the library would be open (will be closed on Thursdays) – from 50 hours per week to 40 hours.
Don spoke about the additional cost to property owners should the millage pass. If a person owns a home assessed at $72,000 (the average assessment of homes in the city) which has a taxable value of $36,000, their property taxes would only increase $54 per year or $4.50 a month!
Don added that the library won the prestigious 2010 State Library of Excellence Award and recognized by the US Department Commerce for their best practices. Last year there were 115,000 visits paid to the library; 8,000 reference questions were asked of library staff; there were 5,500 attendees to various library programs; 68,700 items were checked out and that 23, 855 users took advantage of the library’s computers.
Shirley Ehnis, Director of the Library followed Don and said that computers at the library are a big part of what they do. Many people will get on line to search job opportunities as well as fill out applications. The library has turned out to be a community meeting place for many people. Cognitively-impaired students from the LISD, she said, who visit the library once a week. It is there opportunity to get out into this community. More and more supervised foster care visits are common. Tutors who work with students pay visits there as well. Home school families go there frequently. The library also proctor exams. Core Program volunteers like Dave Maxwell meet at the library at least once a week to work with small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to start new or beef up their existing businesses. Armed forces recruiters use the library to meet with young men and women who are looking to serve their country. Because there is no video rental establishment in the downtown and also because many of the libraries patron walk there, their DVD selections are in wide demand.
Don’t forget to vote on May 5th and support this great cause!