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3-mill levy would help Washington-Centerville Public Library keep pace

Issue would generate about $4.7 million a year for 10 years

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By Jill Kelley, Staff Writer 10:57 AM Thursday, October 13, 2011

CENTERVILLE — In an effort to replace funds lost through state budget cuts and to keep pace with growing usage, the Washington-Centerville Public Library has a 10-year, 3-mill operating levy on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The levy includes a 2.7-mill replacement, with 0.3 additional mills. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $23.16 more a year, for a total of $91.87 annually.

This levy, listed as Issue 9 on the ballot, would generate about $4.7 million each year and would provide the library, which operates the Centerville and Woodbourne branches, with 67 percent of its operating budget.

Georgia Mergler, community relations manager, said the increase in the levy is small and is meant to address the more than $630,000 in state funding lost in the last three years.

“That’s not going to get us any further ahead, due to the state cuts,” Mergler said. “How we are going about our business is not going to change, and we are not going to be adding a lot of new stuff.”

Library Director Kim Senft-Paras said the library also decreased the amount of library materials, full-time staff has been reduced through attrition and the staff has taken a pay freeze.

“We cut $583,000 in expenses last year,” Senft-Paras said.

Levy funds also would go to support existing facilities and keep pace with growing usage. The total amount of items checked out in 2010 was 2.2 million, compared to 1.7 million in 2001. The library also saw a 50 percent increase in visitors in that decade.

Given cuts and increase in use, Mergler said the staff is proud that it was able to stretch the current levy to its full 10 years.

“There have been a lot of crazy things that have happened; a lot of unanticipated things,” she said. “A 10-year levy is like trying to look into a crystal ball. We’ve really worked hard to make those funds last.”

Senft-Paras said if the levy does not pass, the library will go back to voters.

“We will still get revenue next year (from the current levy),” Senft-Paras said. “So, we will still have another two options (in the May and November 2012 elections).”

She said a levy failure would mean cuts, most likely starting with hours.

Deputy Fiscal Officer Cindy Uttermohlen said if this levy passes, the plan is to use its financial framework as a blueprint to guide the next 10 years, as was done for the current levy.

“We will make it last,” Uttermohlen said. “I still use those long-range projections (that were made before the last levy) as an indicator as to where I need to be during a certain period.”

Mergler said, if the state “pulls the plug completely,” that may precipitate another levy, but said it is the library’s intention not to go back to voters for another decade.

She added that in the time since the millage was determined for this levy, the triennial property value update was released. The decrease in property values will cost the library about $160,000 to $170,000 per year.

“We are looking at anything that is a low cost, but high impact,” said Mergler, adding that the plan is to keep services stable. “We may feel like we’re offering new services, but we are really just reallocating money.”

She cited the transition from books on cassette tape to electronic books and the system’s new Kindle offerings as an example of this, noting that services follow demand.

Digitized content is expected to increase in the next decade, as more people want to access library services remotely.

“The website truly is our third location,” Mergler said. “It gets as many visits a month as the Centerville Library.”

Mergler said the library also seeks funding from private donors and local businesses, as illustrated by the Barktoberfest fundraiser held Saturday, Oct. 8, in collaboration with SICSA.

She also lauded the efforts of the Friends of the Washington-Centerville Public Library, a recently formed fundraising group.

Mergler said the library appreciates and values residents’ patronage and financial support.

“Without the last levy, we wouldn’t be the library we are today,” Senft-Paras added.

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