More Library Tax?

The Daviess County Public Library board is considering a small raise in the rate at which local residents support it. A tax payer who owns a $100,000 home and pays the annual $60 library tax under the current 6-cent rate would see that go to $61 with the proposed 6.1 cent rate. The board has advertised the higher rate and plans to discuss it at its August 19th meeting. Certainly, paying a $1 more per year is not a big expense for people in a $100,000 home. We have a very nice, new library at a great location on Frederica—a facility that is without doubt a community asset.

However, in these times of economic uncertainty, business closings/layoffs and decreased tax revenues at all government levels, I would suggest the library board make the necessary adjustments to avert a tax increase. I'm no Dewey Decimal System expert, but I would think some combination of reduced hours, fewer book and other material purchases might go a long way toward saving the 4% in new revenue the library apparently needs. After all, local and state governments are cutting more than 4%. Just because the board can raise the library tax doesn't mean it should. Certainly, tax payers are cutting back and business and industry are operating leaner than ever.

I found this story today http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/51360527.html from the Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee, WI. Faced with revenue shortfalls, their library board is taking entrepreneurial steps to look for alternatives to raising revenues. It's a different situation with several library locations in Milwaukee vs. one facility here, but the idea still applies: Instead of simply raising a tax, get creative like everyone else is doing.