That one additional was for the Greene County Public Library, a one-mill, 10-year measure which was narrowly approved with 53% of voters in favor.
The additional money means the library can maintain its current levels of services and programs, library administrators said, without cutting hours. The library last passed an operations levy in 2014, and previously told the Dayton Daily News that part of the logic for seeking an operating levy was the decline in purchasing power of that levy in the last decade.
“The public can look forward to more of the same services you enjoy and currently pay for,” said Evan Scott, Community Information Coordinator for the Greene County Public Library. “We have our head down, laser-focused on Greene County citizens and patrons.”
The only two library levies that were turned down in the state were an additional levy for Norwalk Public Library, near Sandusky, and a replacement and increase for Grafton-Midview Public, located west of Cleveland. Both were decided by thin margins, Ohio Library Council data shows.
The average voter approval rate was 63 percent.
“Ohioans continue to show their support for public libraries at the polls,” said Michelle Francis, Executive Director of the Ohio Library Council. “These results make it clear that Ohioans value their libraries and trust them to be responsible stewards of public funds.”
This comes after library officials have raised concerns about changes to Ohio’s library funding model.
For decades, Ohio’s Public Library Fund received 1.7% of Ohio’s general revenue fund, which is powered by sales and personal income taxes and other revenue sources.
But the state’s $60 billion biennial budget, passed by state lawmakers this summer, converted the PLF into a line-item in the budget. The state appropriated $490 million for the 2026 fiscal year and $500 million for the 2027 fiscal year.
“The move from a designated percentage in the general revenue fund for the Public Library Fund to a line item, that’s something that should not be taken lightly. That move means that as a line item, that could go away completely,” Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith previously told the Dayton Daily News.
At the same time, property taxes have become the primary funding source for public libraries, according to the Ohio Library Council, with 52% of total public library funding coming from levies.
Since 2008, 92 percent of all library levies on Ohio ballots have been approved by voters.
“Despite these headwinds, Ohioans continue to stand by their libraries, and we are incredibly grateful,” Francis said. “Voters clearly recognize that their local libraries deliver exceptional value and play an essential role in their communities.”
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