by Rachel Vote
Dorr Library Board President
In this final article before the millage election Aug. 6, I will attempt to answer some common questions the board and library employees have been asked about it.
There is a video of information presented at the Town Hall meeting on the Dorr Library’s Facebook page. If you have questions that weren’t answered in this article, please email Rachel Vote at dorrlibraryboard@gmail.com.
Question: Why is the library asking for a 10 year millage?
Answer: The library is asking for a 10 year millage because that is traditionally how it has been done. A ten year millage allows an institution to have secure funding and the ability to plan over time.
Question: Why is the library asking for such a big increase in funding?
Answer: The request for such a large increase is due to the gap between rising operating costs and decreasing funding. Technology expenses, increased payroll expenses and building maintenance expenses have risen significantly over the past few years while revenue from penal fines and grants have dramatically decreased.
Question: How will the funding be used?
Answer: The funding will be used to update technology services. Currently, the wifi in the library only works in limited areas. In order to allow patrons to access wifi in all areas of the library, significant improvements to the infrastructure need to be made. Patrons have requested access to Hoopla, a digital media service, in order to have a better selection of ebooks, audio books, movies, and music without a wait. This service would allow patrons to access content with their library card in minutes. The library would also like to expand their morning hours and offer programming for young children and families during this time. The library also needs to remodel the bathrooms because there are some serious plumbing issues, and needs to remodel the side door so it meets ADA guidelines.
Question: What is the plan if the millage does not get approved by voters?
Answer: Though the library board, library employees and many residents are hopeful that the millage will be approved, we are beginning to think about what our next steps might be if the millage fails. The current millage expires at the end of 2019. Without renewed or increased funding, it is feasible the library may have to close its doors. Some very tough decisions would have to be made that might include limiting hours, cutting programs, eliminating services that allow patrons to access materials from other libraries, or cutting staff until another funding option is approved. Our goal is to be able to offer as many programs, materials, and services as possible, but with a lack of funding it will be impossible to continue normal operations. Without millage funding, the library would be considered “underfunded” and would not receive revenue from state aid payments or penal fines. It would have to operate on the $50,000 appropriation from the township[JK1] .
Question: How much will this millage cost me?
Answer: The library is proposing to levy one mill. That comes out to $1 per every $1,000 of your house’s value. Residents are currently paying 0.289 for every $1,000 of taxable value. To figure out your individual tax payment, use the following formula: =1 x (Your home’s taxable Value) / 1,000. To figure out what you’re currently paying use the following formula: .289 X (Your home’s taxable value) / 1,000.
For the average homeowner in Dorr the monthly cost is about the same as the cost of one book from Amazon.
| Home’s Value | Taxable Value | Millage Cost/ Year |
| $1,000.00 | $500.00 | $0.50 |
| $50,000.00 | $25,000.00 | $25 |
| $100,000.00 | $50,000.00 | $50 |
| $150,000.00 | $75,000.00 | $75 |
| $200,000.00 | $100,000.00 | $100 |
| $250,000.00 | $125,000.00 | $125 |
| $300,000.00 | $150,000.00 | $150 |
| $350,000.00 | $175,000.00 | $175 |
| $400,000.00 | $200,000.00 | $200 |
The Millage will be some 55 cents per day for the highest shown Taxable value. Not a lot for what we get, the average is 27 cents a day, 27 one-cent coins. A Starbucks tall coffee per week. Three cheap beers per month.
I’ve never voted no on any property tax request for libraries, K-12 education or roads. They all have long term effects on the economic viability of a community. Let those items start to slide and a gradual economic decline begins. Young people don’t move to areas with declining public education infrastructure, poor roads and no public libraries.
I have read comments in this publication and comments in MLive stating libraries are an out dated concept now we have the internet, e books and online publications.
But without a physical building who is going to address helping people the way librarians and their staffs do? Who is going direct a visitor to the correct section of a library to find the subjects they need, how to find articles and books the visitor needs? Who is going to recommend different authors who may write in the same genre? What organization is going to pick up the summer programs many parents in the community use so their children aren’t locked to a video screen gaming the summer away?
Then consider, since there is no public internet provided to everyone at home, how many people who may use the library have access or the budget for the $45 to $70 monthly internet fees? Who is going to provide families with computers or tablets to use when the electronics issued by the public schools need to be returned to the schools for the summer months? If people have internet service and a device to go online and need help on how to find a book, publication, who provides that service or do those folks stay uniformed and unable to locate the information they were unable to find?
Mr. Traxler is correct that the funding requested for the Dorr library isn’t a deal breaker for any household budget. Especially when you consider services the local library provides.
Often when one is on the selling side of the equation they talk about pennies per day. I take a look at the bottom line of my property tax bill and there are lots line items that were “sold” as pennies per day. I now am looking at a very large property tax bill, and they are still wanting more. Folks don’t forget the township is already hinting at needing more office space. I am confident this will only be two cups of gourmet coffee……
Mr Wilkens
You are correct……..not only more room for township office space, but talk of a new maintenance building also.
You are also correct pennies a day doesn’t sound bad. But if my math is correct..based on 55 cents a day comes to about $190 per year which doesn’t sound bad unless you are on a fixed income,
It’s possible many will think nothing of adding an additional $190 to their tax bill.
I for one believe this is just to large a burden for many in our township.
When it comes to millage issues one must look at the long term. Yes, every millage only adds pennies a day …but all those pennies add up to hundreds of dollars a year.
One must ask this question…did this crisis just suddenly happen or were those on pervious library boards failing to see this happening? Did they just ignore this issue?
Now Dorr township has made the news……..we may have to close the library…
So are we horrible citizens if we vote NO….are we being shamed into voting YES due to lack of foresight on previous library boards??
Possibly previous library boards and directors made do, knowing a large millage would not pass. Possibly they would rather run on a small budget and know the library could open its doors to the citizens and pay employees. This library board should have been far more conservative in their request for a new millage. If .8 mill was overwhelming turned down who in their right mind askes for 1 mill a short time later? As Mr Wilkins and Mr Smit mentioned we are surely to be voting on a township hall and maintenance building millage soon. We approved a road tax and a fire department millage recently. How much more do you want to see your tax bill increase over the next couple years? Think carefully before voting yes on this millage. Ms Vote says the library will close if this does not pass. She also said the Board is (just now for goodness sakes) making plans if this millage fails. I for one am not buying into the scare tactics. I think that is a low way to score votes. I use our library and I am very disappointed in the action this board has taken. I will surely keep this in mind next time we vote for library board members.
A non-resident library card will cost you $40 annually at Henika Library.
I too am not a fan of the gourmet coffee or cheap beer comparison when it comes to millages. Let’s just talk about the added $190 on your tax bill. That’s the bottom line. Not .55 cents a day, $190 a year. There is a difference.
Mr Smit,
Thanks for your comments that are spot on. This is NO crisis. This library functioned just fine before the millage, operating from the township’s general fund. So if this current millage fails the doors certainly won’t close. The township will have to realign their priorities and live within the budget, just like you, my family and the general public are expected to do.
Cheers!
So should the current board not try to rectify the errors of the previous boards? (assuming the previous boards actually made errors)
Years ago they voted to drop property taxes 50% and raise sales tax to 6%. The schools and cities jumped on this. Now we pay the same property tax, 100% of old times, and still have 6% sales tax. When I can’t afford steak, I buy hot dogs
Feel free to correct me, aren’t taxes based on state equalized value rather than retail market/selling price? While there is no hard and fast rule a starting point, listing a home’s selling price is typically between 1.8 to 2.1 of state equalized value.
If some of the commentator’s $195/year increase is accurate, they are living on property with state equalized value of $354,500 and when the time comes for them (or their heirs) selling that residence and property it would be on the market for$700,000 (plus or minus $15,000) given the current market conditions.
I’m impressed there are so many sizeable assets in the libraries tax base.
Couch man
Based on the saying it’s the price of a cup of coffee everyday.
At $.55 cents a cup.thats $200.00 ,a year
Don’t know where people get their coffee…but mine costs at least $1 a cup which would be $365 …
My point being please use correct examples if you want a YES vote. Trying to make additional tax money for whatever the cause ..don’t try and make it sound like it’s just pennies your budget will not miss.
I also stand by my comment past library boards either had no foresight or failed to attempt putting a milliage on a ballot, so the question is why not?
The election will decide the issue.
I myself would be saddened if the library closed. I am there on a weekly basis for books, free craft classes, free faxing/computer services etc…I see many families & kids enjoying programs & books! Small town girl, if you truly use the library why are you so negative about it?
Why would you want it to close?
The sev on my house is about 100,000, about $100 a year would go to the millage, that’s less than $10 a month. That is worth every penny to me! All of the free services are worth every penny! All the smiling faces of the kids in the free programs are worth it to me! Ask the parents who bring their kids to the programs how much they love the library!
The library board has meetings every third Monday of the month & have welcomed residents to attend, they also had an open town hall meeting at the township & again no one showed up! I think the people in Dorr would rather complain on sites like this & to each other instead of attending open meetings to get facts & answers!
Mr Traxler your support of the library is truly appreciated, thank you sir! I hope our library can stay open & benefit the community for many years!
I do use the library on a weekly basis for myself and my child. I am unable to attend board meetings or town hall meetings as I work in the evenings. My negativity is toward the library board, not the library. I am very disappointed with their decision to gamble with our library. I am not hearing a lot of support in town. You mentioned that no one attended the town hall meeting. In looking at the library facebook page it appears as though the comic con was not well attended. Nor was the last prime time story time. They asked for so much, when support and attendance is rather underwhelming. I tend to be a “safe rather than sorry” person. It seems this board threw caution to the wind.
Small town gal I work at the library. You are misinformed concerning prime time and our comic con. We had over 40 people attend our last prime time and our comic con was the best attended comic con yet. We do whatever we can for our patrons. We are passionate about all of our programs and we try our best to make everyone happy. We will continue to serve the Dorr residents until the last dollar is spent. No one is pushing scare tactics. We are providing the facts. We are doing what we can to provide for our community. Our board had been working tirelessly to find answers and provide the community with all of the facts. Thank you ladies. We couldn’t do this without you all.
Over the last several weeks, I’ve stated the reasoning behind the millage request. I’ve given every piece of data I have to display that the current millage plus township contribution plus withdrawal from our rainy day fund is not sustainable. We are in the lowest percentile of funding for libraries our size in Michigan. On Tuesday, it will come down to one question: Does Dorr want to continue to support a library of this size? If the answer is no, then the Board will have to enact drastic cuts for programming, services, and hours of operation. This isn’t a scare tactic. This is reality.
The decision to propose this increase was made by the board after careful review and analysis of our current budget and projected funding decreases in areas such as penal fines. This increase, if it passes, will provide a stable, sustainable source of funding for the library for the next ten years. As a member of this community who is passionate about literacy and access to information, that’s important to me, which is why I’ll vote yes on Tuesday.
I also want to thank all the board members for giving so much of your time and energy to this effort, all done on a purely volunteer basis. The decision on the millage is in the hands of the voters, as it should be. Whatever happens, I’m lucky to get to work alongside you!
Jen Klug
Vice President
Dorr Township Library Board
John Tuinstra can keep his “vote no” trash out of my yard! He’s a pathetic representative of our township!