Set to be on the ballot on August 6 will be a couple of library millages in Lincoln Township.
Lincoln Township Library Director Joelle Wake tells us the two millages would restore the existing library millages to their intended amounts after a state Headlee rollback. The ballot questions would restore the millages from 1959 and 1990 to their intended 0.5 mills each.
“If approved, the restored millages will generate around $141,000 annually for the library,” Wake said. “This money will ensure that the library can continue to offer robust programs, the diverse collection materials that we have, and any necessary facility maintenance that we have for our large building of 25,000 square feet.”
Under state rules, if the taxable value of a community grows by a certain amount, then millage rates get rolled back under the Headlee formula. The library’s 1959 millage has been rolled back to 0.3 mills from 0.5 and the 1990 millage has been rolled back to 0.4 mills from 0.5.
Wake says the library is asking to put the millage rates back to where they should be.
“Like everywhere, costs of things have gone up, so the costs for books have gone up, utilities have gone up. So any amount of money that we can recapture with these two millages that we had would obviously allow us to ensure that the library continue to offer the level of services that we’re providing right now.”
Wake says the 1959 millage would raise about $88,000 for the library in its first year. The 1990 millage would raise about $53,000 in its first year.
Both millages were approved by voters in perpetuity, so they’ll remain in effect regardless of the election. The question is whether voters will allow them to be returned to their intended amounts.
You can find out more about primaries and ballot proposals to be considered next month right here.
