No.  The Library is located in the Cultural Center campus, and many people think that we receive funding through that millage.  However, we do not receive any of that funding.

No.  This is a renewal, not a new millage, so your tax bill would stay the same.

Ten years.  This millage renewal would go into effect starting with the 2022 summer tax bill, and it would be in effect through the 2031 tax year.

The Library will have to reduce its budget and reduce library services accordingly. The Library receives almost all of its revenue from taxpayers: 2 mills in perpetuity, and this 2 mills that are renewable. If the 2 mills are not renewed, the Library would experience a 50 percent cut in tax revenue. This would reduce funds available for library services.

Donors are prepared to pay the rest.  The taxpayer portion of this project ($12.6 million) is less than half of the total because generous donors are prepared to pay for the remainder of the cost.  This reduces the amount that we must ask taxpayers to contribute.

You can estimate the cost here.  The City Assessor’s Office is responsible for calculating the exact amount that will be on your property tax bill. For the sake of example, a home with a market value of $30,000 would have approximately $27 added to the tax bill each year for the Library bond.

No.  Our board evaluated the option of building a new facility as well as renovating our existing building.  It would have cost more to build a new building, which is why the board voted in favor of renovation.

During most of it, yes.  The process of moving out and then moving back in is quite complex.  The Library will be closed for approximately two months to pack up and move into a temporary facility (location to be determined).  We will be closed for roughly the same amount of time to pack up and move back into our renovated facility.  The Library will be open to the public at our temporary location during the rest of the construction process.

The short answer: everything!  The entire interior will be renovated.  Some of the significant changes include:

• Doubling our children’s space
• Doubling our tech learning space
• Two-thirds more space for local history and genealogy
• 6 study rooms, 9 meeting rooms and 4 classrooms
• Making an additional 16,000 sq. ft. available to the public through reconfiguration of existing space
• All new systems and facilities (heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, elevators, rest rooms, windows)

We are targeting late summer 2021.  Right now, our schedule calls for the construction to be completed by June 2021.  We would move into the space and open for service sometime in August 2021.