Tipp City library wants voters to help keep doors open

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By Nancy Bowman, Staff Writer 7:59 AM Wednesday, June 24, 2009

TIPP CITY — The Tipp City Public Library will ask voters to help keep it alive.

Details are being hammered out on a tax proposal, now estimated at 0.75-mills, to keep the library’s doors open.

The proposal, which would appear on the November ballot, was discussed briefly Monday, June 22, by the Tipp City Board of Education.

The proposal already was in the works when word of possible deep cuts in library funding in the next biennium came out of Columbus on Friday, June 19.

The board of education will be asked to place the tax request on the ballot on behalf of the library, which was formed as a school district library, Joe Smith, schools treasurer, said.

The schools would not receive any money from the levy. Levy proceeds would come to the district then sent directly on to the library, Smith said.

Mark Mabelitini, library director, said the county auditor has been asked to certify how much a 0.75- mill levy would generate annually. The library board still must determine the length of the proposed levy.

Smith said a five-year levy generating around $285,000 a year is being considered. Mabelitini is scheduled to talk with the board at a special meeting scheduled for Monday, June 29.

Mabelitini said Tuesday this year has been the worst he’s seen financially in 20 years in the library industry. “It’s rough,” he said.

Because of funding challenges, the library has been doing some “low-key” fund raising, mostly from information on its Web site, Mabelitini said. Local organizations have made some donations toward book purchases and the local Bob Evans this week said it would give a percentage of sales a couple of days to the library.

“Money is trickling in, but we will have to step it up,” Mabelitini said.

The direction the library will need to take will be “much clearer” once the state budget is approved, he said.

This would be the library’s first operating levy. Other tax requests have been for construction.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2292 or nbowman@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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