After nine months of severely reduced service caused by budget shortfalls that stemmed from the failure of two millage increases in 2006, Lapeer (Mich.) District Library reopened its five closed branches September 4. Voters had been warned that a third defeat would have forced officials to close the remaining three libraries in 2008.
The library’s funding was restored by voters’ August 6 approval of a six-year, 0.9-mill operational assessment—identical to the library’s previous levy—by a 2,000-vote margin, the Lapeer County Press reported September 5. As a result, 25 of 33 employees who were laid off because of the budget cuts have been recalled; the others had already been returned to payroll or had been working as on-call employees, had retired, or had chosen not to come back. In addition, all eight of the system’s branches have been restored to pre-cutback operating hours.
“I got a call from a woman last Thursday or Friday asking about hours,” Director Kate Pohjola told the paper. “I told her that her branch is reopening. The way she reacted, it was like I told her Santa Claus was coming.”
The millage is expected to provide $2 million, about 80% of the library’s budget, in its first year, the Flint Journal reported September 4.
Posted September 7, 2007.