Library levy earns voter approval
Voters on Tuesday approved a 0.75-mill levy establishing local funding to the Pickerington Public
Library.
Following a year in which reductions in state funding forced cuts to operating hours and staff, Pickerington Public Library officials on Tuesday had cause to celebrate and be hopeful.
Voters in the Pickerington Local School District approved a 10-year, 0.75-mill library operating levy by 6,453 votes (61.58 percent) to 4,026 votes (38.42 percent), according to
unofficial final results from the Fairfield County Board of Elections.
"It is a good night," said Joyce Avers, president of the library's board of trustees. "We are delighted and we are so thankful our levy passed.
"Now we can restore our hours, we can restore programming, we can restore staffing. It won't be immediately, but it will start in 2010."
The levy's passage establishes a local funding source for the first time in the library's 100-year history.
Beginning next year, the levy annually will cost homeowners in the PLSD an additional $22.97 per $100,000 home valuation. It's expected to generate $830,800 yearly for the library.
"We will work very hard now to give the residents an outstanding community library," said Suellen Goldsberry, director of the Pickerington Public Library. "We will not receive any money from this until March, so we have several very tight months ahead of us, but we will restore Sunday hours as soon as we can and then work to restore other hours."
Library officials floated the levy after continued reductions in funding from the state, which provides approximately 97 percent of the Pickerington library's budget.
This year, state funding to the local library is expected to drop by at least $280,000 from 2008, Goldsberry said. As a result, four staff positions were eliminated this summer.
Additionally, reductions in state funding forced the library to cut operating hours from 68 hours per week in 2007 to 47 hours per week this year.
After the restoration of staff, library officials also hope to use the influx of funding to update and upgrade materials. Pending the availability of state funds, staff members also could be rehired.
nellis@thisweeknews.com
Following a year in which reductions in state funding forced cuts to operating hours and staff, Pickerington Public Library officials on Tuesday had cause to celebrate and be hopeful.
Voters in the Pickerington Local School District approved a 10-year, 0.75-mill library operating levy by 6,453 votes (61.58 percent) to 4,026 votes (38.42 percent), according to
unofficial final results from the Fairfield County Board of Elections.
"It is a good night," said Joyce Avers, president of the library's board of trustees. "We are delighted and we are so thankful our levy passed.
"Now we can restore our hours, we can restore programming, we can restore staffing. It won't be immediately, but it will start in 2010."
The levy's passage establishes a local funding source for the first time in the library's 100-year history.
Beginning next year, the levy annually will cost homeowners in the PLSD an additional $22.97 per $100,000 home valuation. It's expected to generate $830,800 yearly for the library.
"We will work very hard now to give the residents an outstanding community library," said Suellen Goldsberry, director of the Pickerington Public Library. "We will not receive any money from this until March, so we have several very tight months ahead of us, but we will restore Sunday hours as soon as we can and then work to restore other hours."
Library officials floated the levy after continued reductions in funding from the state, which provides approximately 97 percent of the Pickerington library's budget.
This year, state funding to the local library is expected to drop by at least $280,000 from 2008, Goldsberry said. As a result, four staff positions were eliminated this summer.
Additionally, reductions in state funding forced the library to cut operating hours from 68 hours per week in 2007 to 47 hours per week this year.
After the restoration of staff, library officials also hope to use the influx of funding to update and upgrade materials. Pending the availability of state funds, staff members also could be rehired.
nellis@thisweeknews.com
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