ST. JOHNS — Briggs Public Library became a district library 10 years ago, and now supporters of Briggs District Library that serves a large portion of northern Clinton County are trying to raise support for its first millage renewal.
The library serves more than 19,000 people living in the city of St. Johns as well as portions of Bengal, Bingham, Essex, Greenbush, Olive, Riley, Victor and Westphalia townships. The library district largely mirrors the boundaries of St. Johns Public Schools, and library officials are asking voters to renew a 10-year, 0.75-mill tax that funds about 80% of Briggs’ operational costs.
To be exact, 0.7348 mills of the proposal to appear on the Aug. 4 ballot is a renewal of the previously approved millage rate that expired in 2025. Another .0152 mill is new additional millage to restore the millage rate lost because of the Headlee Amendment millage reductions over the last 10 years.
The owner of a home with a taxable value of $100,000 would pay $0.75 for each $1,000 of taxable value, or about $75 annually.
The library would be able to collect about $716,000 for wages, materials, programming, services, and building utilities. If voters approve the 0.75-mill proposal, Library Director Sara Morrison said Briggs’ budget next year will be $830,275.
“We’re basically asking to renew our millage and then roll the Headlee off of it,” she said. “We want to go back to the 0.75 obviously for inflationary purpose. Going back to 0.75, it helps us with things like the rising costs of books and electricity and copies.
“We will lose over 80% of our operating revenue if the millage doesn’t pass and we don’ t get our state aid from the state of Michigan if the millage doesn’t pass. It’s huge. I don’t know how we operate on $93,000 to $94,000 a year.”
What else is there to know?
The library district expanded in 2016 from its previous boundaries of the St. Johns city limits to mirror the boundaries of the St. Johns School District. The move was approved by the St. Johns City Commission and the school board, as well as the state librarian.
Funding, in addition to fees, was provided in three ways: Residents of St. Johns paid 1 mill, while residents of Bingham Township paid one-half of 1 mill. Additionally, some surrounding townships had given annual contributions of between $300 and $2,000 so their residents could have library service
Some government officials were upset, saying there were more important ways to spend money. A majority of voters in Essex and Greenbush said no to the 0.75-mill proposal while 54% of the voters in the district overall said yes, according to online Clinton County election records.
The library’s budget then was about $385,000, down from about $485,000 in 2006-07.
Morrison is hoping the opposition has died down. She has worked to change opinions with drop boxes at town halls, programs beyond St. Johns and efforts to go where patrons are.
“I would say that, in general, the community has been much more positive about it so far this time around than they were 10 years ago,” she said. “We haven’t heard a ton of negativity. Most of what we’re hearing is very positive.”
Morrison said voter approval not only allows a continuation of services library users are accustomed to but also money to replace exterior doors that weren’t part of a $2.6 million remodel a few years ago and maybe some older furnaces and air conditioners.
“We tossed around a number of ideas,” she said.
Morrison acknowledged that some people want to know why the millage is needed considering the renovation project that happened soon after COVID.
“Seventy eight percent of that project was paid for with grants, fund raisers and donations, so very little of their millage money paid for that project,” she said, further explaining that the library’s shutdown during COVID meant there was money that could be used for the renovations. “The millage still got levied during COVID, but we weren’t spending it during COVID because we were shut down. We weren’t allowed to have people in the building. Staff was on unemployment. We weren’t buying books or very many books.”
Where to go for more information?
Morrison said yard signs are available and groups like Yes 4 Briggs and Friends of Briggs District Library are in the midst of social media campaigns. Supporters also are visiting town halls, senior centers and community events to talk about the importance of the millage.
The Yes 4 Briggs group is requesting donations for its campaign efforts.
Beyond books, the library allows patrons to take out all sorts of materials, including fishing poles, baking equipment and yard games. It also offers several online databases and resources including Michigan Legal Help and Consumer Reports.
Briggs participates in statewide partnerships that allows patrons to check out books from throughout Michigan.
Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: St. Johns area voters asked to renew Briggs District Library millage
Reporting by Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
