PLAINWELL, MI — The Charles A. Ransom District Library in Plainwell is asking select voters in parts of Allegan and Kalamazoo counties to renew an expiring tax in August.

The 0.58 mill proposal is a continuation of the same rate under which the library — at 180 S. Sherwood Ave. — has operated since voters approved a 10-year tax rate in 2014.

“The library board has determined that the library can continue to operate for many years with the current tax rate and has decided not to request any additional (funding),” according to the district’s recent newsletter.

Therefore, the Supervisory Board has decided to set the vote in such a way that the tax applies indefinitely. This means that the current rate of 0.58 mills will be maintained for the coming years, if the proposal is adopted.

A rate of .58 mills equals $.58 for every $1,000 of taxable value on property within the Charles A. Ransom District Library boundary lines. For a $200,000 home with a $100,000 tax bill, that would equal $58 per year.

Based on property values ​​within the district, the library expects to collect approximately $350,000 in revenue by 2025 if the agreement is approved.

When voters go to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 6, library director Joe Gross said he hopes they understand two things. First, that there will be no increase in the tax rate they’ve paid for the past 10 years. And second, that voting for the tax rate would help protect the community’s investment in the new library that opened in 2020.

A separate tax, approved by voters in 2018, covered most of the library’s $7 million construction costs. That tax doesn’t expire until 2042, Gross said.

The current operating tax helps fund about 38 percent of the library’s daily operating budget, Gross said. If the tax were not passed, the library would be forced to cut staff hours by at least a third and library hours would also be reduced, he said.

“If you’re talking about operating a public library, 55 to 60 percent of that budget is going to pay the people who work there,” Gross said. “So that’s definitely the area that’s been hit the hardest by the millage renewal. If we had a 38 percent drop in our income, we’d have to lay off a number of people. That would be tough on our staff.”

The remainder of the operating budget goes toward the maintenance of the new library, the cost of books, DVDs, audiobooks and other items. It also funds the free daily programs for children and adults offered at the library, free notary services, free Wi-Fi and free use of laptops and desktop computers.

Other services covered by the operating funds include free local historical research, study and meeting spaces, 3D printing, individual technical appointments, digitizing photos and films, the free seed library, the activity room for teens and the discovery library for children.

“The Ransom District Library has been serving the community since 1918 and we have never been more proud of it,” Gross said. “We feel like our community has really supported our library. We just have to make sure that our message is clear.”

Under the law, a portion of the proceeds from the tax levy can be seized by the City of Plainwell’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

According to information from the library, in 2023 the library received more than 56,000 visitors, nearly 159,000 items were loaned out and 596 programs were held, with a total of 10,511 guests participating.

The library’s operating budget is managed by Gross and the library board.

Want more news from the Kalamazoo area? Mark the local kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Kalamazoo“daily newsletter.