Dorr Township Library Director Elyshia Hoekstra

The Dorr Township Library Board has decided to reconsider the date of its millage request, opting for the March Michigan presidential primary instead of the August primary.

The Library Board last month voted to place an 0.6-mill increase proposal on the August 2020 election ballot, but Library Director Elyshia Hoekstra asked for a special meeting Monday night (Dec. 2) to reconsider.

Library Board President Rachel Vote said Hoekstra was able to persuade the board to change course because of fears the library millage question would be buried under an avalanche of issues and candidates in August. The request in March would be in addition to only the Democratic and Republican primary votes for nominating a presidential candidate.

The request will remain at six-tenths of a mill for 10 years.

Meanwhile, the Friends of the Library group is tasked with raising the roughly $3,000 to cover costs of placing the issue on the ballot in March. There would be no cost in August.

The Library Board in August 2018 asked for a half-mill increase, but it was defeated by a margin of 1,070 to 634. The board came back in a special election last August, seeking one mill, but that was rejected by a vote of 629 to 529.

Since then library officials have agreed to lover the amount of the request to 0.6.

Library Board Secretary Sara Rydeman last month asked the Dorr Township Board for guidance on whether the millage should be requested in August or in the March presidential primary. The board told her the date and amount was up to library officials.

Dorr Township Trustee John Tuinstra, who actively campaigned against the millage request last August, told Rydeman the millage should remain at 0.289 with a renewal and then a request for more should be a separate issue.

Rydeman replied that the 0.289 levy is not enough for the library to continue operations and offer programs. It already has begun to cut back on programs and services in the wake of the two millage defeats.

Rydeman also told the Township Board the state can penalize libraries for not raising more than three-tenths of a mill in local revenue.

 

11 Comments

John Wilkens
December 3, 2019
This library board is out of control. I had to laugh when the board said the "millage question would be buried under an avalanche of issues and candidates in August." So once again the average voter is considered ignorant and is unable to read the whole ballot, come on, really? Let's be honest here. The board does not want to run this issue when a larger than normal number of voters show up to the polls. Please run the millage question in November when the largest number of voters will show up and it will save $3,000.00. Interesting how they claim to have little money however can come up with thousands to run special elections. Additionally, when will this board listen to their constituents. They soundly defeated the last two millage requests. If your not representing the voter who exactly are you representing? With the money they are wasting and the games the board are playing putting this on the ballot in March, I hope the voters strongly defeat this millage.
0
Reply
Diane Geelhoed
December 5, 2019
Your ignorance is obvious. I bet you’ve never walked through the Dorr Library’s door. Libraries are important cornerstones of a healthy community. Libraries give people the opportunity to find jobs, explore medical research, experience new ideas, get lost in wonderful stories, while at the same time providing a sense of place for gathering. If the little bit of money that would come out of your pocket to keep the library open is your problem, then shame on you! I have been a librarian for 23 years at a local library and the joy that we provide for young mother and their toddlers at story time, young students that have no access to a home computer, patrons who attend our monthly night and morning book discussions , summer programming, and community fellowship is irreplaceable. Your need to stop this valuable service is selfish.
0
Reply
Harry Smit
December 5, 2019
Ms Geelhoed Until the last few years I've spent many hours at Dorr Library. It in my opinion this library was never a cornerstone in this community. Most of your reasons given for me to pay more taxes are weak at best. They can be done on the phones people carry every day. ( I believe Obama phones are still available) If you believe this is a minor amount of money and want to shame me....please feel free to pay my share . Since being a librarian must pay extremely well you should be able to cover the no voters.....sense it is such a merger amount. For years previous boards failed to see what was needed in the future....and were willing to let future boards address these needs. If I'm selfish so be it, I no longer find any services that the library offers will effect my life if they are limited or eliminated. I am willing to wager if you did not work in a library....services offered at this library. Sorry but my vote will be NO
0
Reply
Diane Geelhoed
December 6, 2019
Mr. Smit, I make $12.80 an hour after working 24 years and I work part-time. It certainly isn’t for the money that I work at a library! I love and believe in the library. I’m sorry that you do not. I pay $124.59 to the Kent District Library through my taxes. I also pay $89.54 for the fire dept., 59.04 for the police dept. and $382.88 for the public schools. If you need proof, I could take a picture of my 2019 winter tax bill sitting next to me. I’m 66 years old and get social security along with my part-time paychecks. If I could swing it, I would gladly pay your portion of the Dorr Library millage cost, but my $990 monthly mortgage payment doesn’t leave me a whole lot of money left over. Go to the library during the summer to see how much enjoyment children get out of the summer reading program. Be the grinch by being the unhappy miser that takes that all away from them!
0
Reply
Harry Smit
December 7, 2019
Ms Geelhoed Not sure you really understand the situation in Dorr seems you are in a more advanced community. If we want to compare wages, I happen to be 73 yrs old work and average of 45 to 50 hrs a week at $ 9.00 per hr. And if you want to see bills mine make yours look very small. Since you are the expert in the library area.. Explain how a child would get more enjoyment from a summer reading program than having a parent or sibling read to them? Am I a selfish miser, "you bet ya". The library in no way should take the place of the responsibility a parent has in teaching reading and enjoying books. If reading and knowledge of interesting places and things is a goal of the library, why such a push of video games, music cds, movies, and the like? And yes I've seen summer reading programs. I will also tell you many of the youngsters are there only cause mom or dad want and hour away from them. So yes. If this passes, please contact the treasurer in Dorr and work out how you will pay the library millage instead of I..
0
Diane Geelhoed
December 7, 2019
Mr. Smit, Your reply to my comment was not completed so I wasn’t able to put this comment directly under your comment. Where do you propose parents and siblings get the books to read to their children? Not from the library if you have your way!! Do you have any idea how much one hardcover children’s book cost? The cost varies anywhere from $17.99 to $27.99. The price to buy your child 10 books is ridiculous when you can go borrow 100 books from the library (that you want to take away from the parents of Dorr) for FREE!! Another misconception you have is that parents drop off their children to attend the summer reading program. That is NOT true!!! We aren’t daycare centers. Parents are never allowed to drop their children off!! Don’t punish the parents and children who gain from the pleasure of the library because you have too many bills.
0
Reply
Harry Smit
December 8, 2019
Ms Greelhoed The parents of these children spend more than the cost of a book on trivial things, and in reality do not want to be bothered with reading to their children. I grew up in a poor family but my folks always bought a book every two weeks to read to me and my brothers...I still have those books and read them to my children. It is no misconception as to parents using summer reading as a daycare....as I've stated before...much of my time was spent in this library so I know what I saw. By voting no is not a punishment to parents or children.....no matter how poor one is if the parents want books to read they are always available for little or no cost at thrift shops or other areas they frequent. Yes they may have to for go a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of wine, or other trival objects. You like many believe in the word FREE....nothing is free there is always a cost involved.....the library currently has many books and other materials....no one I have known or heard about has read every book or used all the materials available to them . My point is at this time use what you have .....as I've said my bills come before any library, or other added tax...
0
John Wilkens
December 5, 2019
Take a look at how much money they (the board) are wasting running special elections. In case you haven't noticed its thousands. Is this good use of money? This my friend is very selfish and ignorant use of money. Unfortunately everyone looking for more money seems to think there is endless supply, Fire Department, Parks, Police, Roads, Addition for the Township Complex etc etc etc. It all adds up to a very large tax bill. My budget is strained. Maybe the Friends of the Library could go door to door and take donations from those who want to fund this project.
0
Reply
Harry Smit
December 4, 2019
John Wilkens I also found it interesting that suddenly there is a "Friends of the Library " Where was this group ten years ago? Other libraries have groups that run events to help their librarians....is it possible, this new group has had events ( pancake breakfasts, rummage sales) that we ( those not intelligent enough to read ) have missed these fund raisers?? Sure they want a third try...keep "beating" the voters of the township over and over and after awhile it will pass. The library board just can not seem to grasp the fact many do not support expanding programs at the present time. Listen to the majority voters, if a library is not their major concern in these times . Do what you have threatened, cut hours ,only stay open one or two days a week, eliminate staff. Than if there is no overwhelming support for the library due to loss of services.......your answer will or should be very evident.
0
Reply
Diane Geelhoed
December 6, 2019
Mr. Wilkins, Not every library is lucky enough to even have a friends group. My library has never had one. But we are fortunate to have a library board that lets our director do her job. The Dorr Library’s board demands that they are in control leaving the director to do as she is told by the board. These board members don’t have a clue how to operate the library they pretend to work for. They did not go to school for a degree in library science and it shows!! I feel sorry for the director and staff of the Dorr Library. They are being railroaded by their board. Amen to those that choice to be friends of the Dorr Library!
0
Reply
John Wilkens
December 6, 2019
"Library Board President Rachel Vote said Hoekstra was able to persuade the board to change course because of fears the library millage question would be buried under an avalanche of issues and candidates in August." Ms. Geelhoed you might want to re-read the quote. Who is controlling whom? Cheers!
0
Reply

Post your comment

Discover more from

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading