Marquette, Michigan – The Peter White Public Library is requesting five of the six townships served by a Contract for Library Services to place a renewal of the one mil levy on real and personal property on the primary ballot August 7, 2012.
The millage renewal for the PWPL was briefly discussed at the Marquette Township meeting on March 20, 2012. At that time, Supervisor Dennis Liimatta stated that the Township is exploring other alternatives to the millage renewal. The Board did not discuss the other alternatives being considered or place action on the millage renewal on the agenda for a future meeting. Some residents have been told that new Township building plans contain space for a library that will serve Marquette Township residents.
Township officials contacted Library Director Pam Christensen to refute a March 22, 2012 Peter White Public Library’s FaceBook posting. The posting stated Marquette Township officials had notified the Peter White Public Library that they would not place the millage renewal on the ballot. The post encouraged Marquette Township residents to contact Township officials concerning this matter.
Randy Girard, Township Manager, and Dennis Liimatta, Supervisor, both responded to the post. The PWPL posting was removed on Friday, March 23, 2012. “I agree that a portion of the posting’s wording was in error,” said Library Director Pam Christensen. “The PWPL has not been informed that the Township Board will not place the Contract for Library Services millage on the ballot. The meeting record will reflect that Supervisor Liimatta stated that the Township is exploring other alternatives. The wording in this posting was corrected less than 24 hours later.” The new posting encourages Township residents to contact their elected officials and request that this issue be placed on the ballot.
“The last time the Contract for Library Services millage was placed on the ballot in Marquette Township was two years ago. At that time, Township voters approved the millage renewal by almost 80%,” added Christensen. The Board must pass a resolution to place the issue on the ballot by May 15, 2012. This is the deadline for the August 7, 2012 primary election ballot. If the issue is not placed on the ballot, Marquette Township residents will not have the opportunity to vote on the issue.
The PWPL has worked with surrounding Townships to negotiate Contracts for Library Services for the past 20 years. Chocolay, Marquette, Powell, Sands and West Branch Townships are scheduled to renew the measure this year. The millage rate was originally set at one mil (one dollar per thousand of property value). This millage rate has been reduced by the Headlee Amendment. The millage renewals are proposed at the current rate, not the full rate of one mil. To date, Chocolay and West Branch Townships have agreed to place the issue on the ballot. Other townships will be discussing the issue at upcoming meetings.
“In this day and age of shrinking budgets and an emphasis on intergovernmental cooperation, the Peter White Public Library demonstrates what can be accomplished by many groups working together. I hope Township officials and residents recognize the value of the Peter White Public Library and work together to place this issue on the ballot as requested,” says Christensen.
PWPL is the largest public library in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The annual operating budget for the facility is $1.7 million. 76% of this budget comes from property tax revenues from the City of Marquette and the six millage townships.
City of Marquette property owners pay 1.3698 mils toward the PWPL’s general operating budget. This millage provides approximately $800,000 per year. An additional .62 mills is paid by City taxpayers to retire the $4.5 million bond issue approved in 1998 for the renovation and expansion of the historic 1904 building. This millage generates $367,800 in debt retirement funds annually.
Marquette Township’s millage rate is .9070. Their annual contribution to the Library is approximately $180,000. Residents of Chocolay Township pay .7615 mils for a total of $130,000. Powell Township first passed the millage in 2010. Their residents pay 1 mil which equals $67,000. Sands Township’s share of taxes at .8547 is $54,300. Skandia Township provides $20,000 in funding through a levy of .9738 and West Branch Township $24,700 from .9338 mil.
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