The Dorr Township Library request for a one-mill levy for 10 years was defeated at the polls Tuesday by a count of 629 to 529.
The results, a margin of 54 to 46 percent, leave the Library Board scrambling for some way to keep the facility open because the current 0.289 authorized millage will expire in December. The Township Board has helped with a $50,000 stipend and other sources of revenue include fines and grants.
Library Board President Rachel Vote said, “I am sad and frustrated that the township residents did not support this millage. I firmly believe that the library is an essential part of the community and stand behind our decision to request the funding needed to continue offering the materials, services, and programming the patrons need.
“The board, along with the library director, have some difficult decisions to make on how to continue to operate the library on drastically limited funds. We will be seeking input from the public to determine what funding they are willing to allow.”
There has been no talk about seeking another millage, Vote added, because the focus has been entirely on the Aug. 6 election. If local library officials want to get a proposal on the November they would have to hurry because there is little time to have that done.
The Library Board has been grappling with economic issues in the wake of the defeat of a millage request in August 2018, when voters turned down a request for a levy of 0.798 mill for 10 years, with all but a half mill being a renewal.
The proposal lost 1,070 to 634 a year ago and would have provided about $212,000 for operations and programs.
Dorr Township Treasurer Jim Martin reported that just over 21 percent of the registered voters in the township voted.
“If local library officials want to get a proposal on the November they would have to hurry because there is little time to have that done.”
You must be kidding. The voters once again, in a special election (another cost to the tax payer), have defeated the request. When will the Library Board finally listen to their constituents and not bring this question back up? Frustrating!!
How might you suggest funding the library without a millage?
How was it funded before the millage? I will answer that for you, from the general fund. How much money was wasted running this “special election”? Why did the board decide to run this election knowing turnout would be low? I will answer that one, to railroad it through. Why ask for additional money so you could give back $50k to the township so they can spend it as they wish? Typical tax and spend……….
Cheers!
I hope the board has learned from this experience. When they put a new request on the November ballot hopefully they use some common sense. I am confident that had they asked for a conservative and sensible millage they would not be scrambling to meet the next election deadline. Let’s hope they get it right and don’t gamble with our library’s future yet again.
You can blame the board all you want, but the results are still the same: the library cannot continue to operate with a renewal. The current budget only is executed with a $50,000 stipend from the township, the generosity of local businesses, and savings. Nothing can improve at the library because the people of Dorr have the insane belief that their taxes are way too high. I’ve lived in high-tax areas and received nothing for my taxes. Dorr does very well with city services for the populace.
I personally hope they don’t put it on the ballot in November, and wait until the next planned election. They can’t ask for a simple renewal- they need to increase to maintain current services. Since no one is willing to vote for an increase, and they want the same convoluted funding they’ve always had, the board should respond to the true “will of the people” and cut services & hours to match the budget. Maybe then people will realize how worthwhile a millage increase would have been.
What would be a “conservative and sensible” amount to you?
Seeing that a .8 mill was soundly rejected I would suggest a .6 millage. I think that would pass and we could continue to have a library in Dorr. I think the last 2 elections have proven anything higher is not going to pass at this time. Wouldn’t you rather have a library operating on a small budget than no library at all? I know I sure would! Some of the new ideas will just have to wait. Only 529 people felt strongly enough to support this millage. That alone speaks volumes. Please do not gamble with our library again. Make a safer choice.
I can’t figure out why there is a contingent of people in this township who think the rest of us don’t deserve a library! We will suffer if we lose it! It is worth paying for! Please do try to bring it up again in November and I will vote yes again and encourage everyone I know to vote yes.
Mr Wilkens
You are correct money spent on a special election for 21% ( 1158 ) voters to cast a ballot.
Using the ” old school millage” tactic didn’t work for the schools…
The library board has to do more to bring their funding issues to the voters in a more non threatening way. Noone gets very far with the threat of closing or reduced services. ( this is something the schools learned a few years ago )
If only 529 voters in the township are willing to support the issue. Than just maybe increased services are not a priority and at this time the majority are satisfied .
Yes public input is important but asking people to attend meetings may not be the way to go. Sending out surveys get little in return, about the only way is to contact the voters face to face (canvass) yes it will take many volunteers, but that maybe the only indication of what the voters are willing to accept in raised taxes.
Sadly, at the present time raising taxes is not popular no matter what it is for.
Please let me know when you’re available to help us go door to door again. dorrlibraryboard@gmail.com
Ms Vote
Sorry, but I am only suggesting what might work… since all I seem to hear is everyone saying the library will close. Since you know better than most, can you say in all honesty the doors will close? Or may it not be true that many types of services now offered will be cut of eliminated??
I also know many are in the same economic situation as I — Living on a very limited income. We in all honesty can not afford more taxes.
I also feel confident in saying there are many who do not use the library. I know I haven’t used your services for a few years… and yes there was a time I used it very often.
You must admit there was very little signage asking for a Yes vote… I only saw 6 signs. I did get 5 postcards in 3 days, and the “what the millage would get” section really had nothing to make me want to increase my taxes.
If what the postcard stated that over 50% of Dorr’s population benefit from family cards is correct, how does one explain that 21% of the voters cast ballots (1158 voters) and the milliage was defeated by 100 votes? Where was the support of those who benefit?
Since two millage tries have failed, the library board has to get answers as to why.
So no, I will not canvass… for by now you should have gathered I am content to keep the library on its current level. If I’m going to pay more taxes, it will be for better roads, which to me is a higher priority at this time.
It will be very interesting to watch what happens in Dorr if the library closes its doors at the end of the year.
Some residents of the Yankee Springs area were affected by a similar situation a few years back (I don’t know if it has been resolved in recent years) where residents of Yankee Springs Township who did not live in the Thornapple-Kellogg School District found themselves without a library. Due to the mish-mash of laws that establish and fund public libraries, this segment of population did not have a public library to call their own. They didn’t pay taxes to the school district, therefore they did not qualify for free services in that library. Even though they were in the Wayland Union School District, they didn’t qualify for free services from any library within the Wayland schools boundaries. In order to get free service they had to go to Delton Township. Library services closer to home would cost them membership at each library they wished to use, and there would be no access to Lakeland Library Cooperative services at all, not even for a fee.
At Henika Library we fielded lots of complaints and irate citizens who felt they were entitled to library service where they paid no financial support. Many of those people did pay, ultimately, to have limited, convenient library access.
If and when Dorr Library closes, I’d wager that there will be far more indignant people than the 1,158 folks who bothered to go and vote.