Farmington Community Library Seeks Tax Renewal Proposal Approval on November Ballots

Farmington Community Library Seeks Tax Renewal Proposal Approval on November Ballots

In Farmington, as well as Farmington Hills, residents are dispensed with the task of deciding whether to approve a 20-year tax renewal for the Farmington Community Library on the upcoming Nov. 5 general election ballot. This tax renewal will not exceed a 1-mill rate.

If the proposal is passed, the library estimates to accumulate a revenue of around $4.75 million in the year 2025. The library, located at 23500 Liberty St., Farmington, and in Farmington Hills, 32737 W. 12 Mile Road, relies on this millage for approximately 55% of its annual revenue.

Note that this tax renewal is not designated for any special projects, but will be used for the library’s general services throughout the year, contributed Sarah Zitter Masindi, the library’s marketing and community relations director.

The library’s major expenses include costs for staff, book and other informational resources collection, and building maintenance. Zitter Masindi outlined the estimated expenses for the 2024-2025 fiscal period indicating that almost $4.5 million will go towards staff salaries while about $811,750 will be utilized for collecting library materials.

To understand the tax renewal rate better, a 0.9264-mill rate implies an annual cost of $231.35 for 20 years for property owners with a taxable value of $250,000.

However, there is a catch. A small fraction of the collected revenue may be captured by the city of Farmington Downtown Development Authority, Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, or the Grand River Corridor Improvement Authority. Giving an insight into the impacts of this capture, Zitter Masindi mentioned that the DDA captured $25,894 from library millages in fiscal year 2023.

While acknowledging the economic difficulties faced due to inflation, Zitter Masindi empathized with the voters, stating that this renewal is for continuing the existing services rather than expanding or adding new ones.

In the words of Jillian Baker, an assistant director at the library, “It’s simply to continue to provide staffing and collections and everything else that we’ve always offered.” There is significant support from the library users, who value the services it offers.

Among them is Kathy Reno, Farmington Hills resident, who emphasized the community role of the library and Hal Light, another longtime resident, who values the library’s resourcefulness.

Moving to a less optimistic scenario, absence of renewal might force the library to reduce services. This could involve trimming public service desk staffing, building hours, and reducing purchases for different collections, warned Zitter Masindi. The decision on this would be determined by the library’s board of trustees.

If you need more details about the millage proposal or the library’s financial data, visit the official website.

The residents are reminded to make an informed choice that aligns with their priorities and values.