After ‘oversight,’ Kent District Library proposes gap-year millage
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — After voters in November approved a millage renewal at a lower rate for the Kent District Library, the library system wants taxpayers to vote on a second millage question in August.
Leaders admit there was an “oversight”: The language that was approved in November didn’t include funding for next year.
“The dates didn’t line up, so the millage that was approved actually is still in effect but it doesn’t start providing funding of the library until 2026,” KDL Executive Director Lance Werner said. “So there was an oversight somewhere, and we are looking into it.”
Without the funding, the library system would have to make “pretty severe cuts,” according to Werner.
“Long story short, we would experience some really draconian cuts for a year. We don’t have a fund balance that would sustain us over that year,” he said. “We would cut back on hours. There would be layoffs, materials that we buy, we would living with a lot less.”
Now, KDL is asking taxpayers to consider a one-year millage at the same rate of 1.1 mills.
“This isn’t an addition to the other millage. This is just a gap-year millage, a one-year millage,” Werner said. “We feel the public will support it.”
In a meeting Thursday, KDL board members approved putting the millage proposal on the Aug. 6 ballot.
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