Referenda Roundup, 1998:
Good News for Libraries
Voters in Seattle overwhelmingly approved November 3 a $196.4-million bond measure to upgrade the city's 107-year-old library system with new facilities, technology, and books, after months of opposition from a group favoring a public loan rather than a tax increase. Public Information Officer Andra Addison said library staff were "doing handsprings" over the measure, which won a solid 72% of the vote.
City Librarian Deborah Jacobs told the Seattle Times November 4 that the proposition passed because residents had a major role in putting it together. "We talked to people and we listened to them and then we changed the plan according to what they said," Jacobs explained. "It wasn't just cute that we called it 'Neighbors for Libraries.' It was people out there working for it."
In addition to replacing Seattle's downtown library with a larger one, the bond will nearly double the total square footage of the branches by adding three new ones, relocating two others, and replacing seven.
Meanwhile, library bond issues elsewhere also fared well, with only a few exceptions. American Libraries' state-by-state roundup of library referenda and other local ballot measures is based on reports from state library agencies and other sources.
California. Proposition DD, a $178.3-million bond measure to fund the renovation, expansion, or replacement of 28 deteriorating Los Angeles Public Library branches and build four new ones in communities without libraries, passed by a resounding 72%. The improved branches will be earthquake-safe, accessible to the disabled, and wired for technology.
Fresno County voters showed overwhelming support (nearly 70%) for Measure B, which will raise as much as $8.5 annually for the county's 35-branch library system. The new money will triple the number of acquisitions, double library hours, and increase literacy services.
With "It's Overdue!" as a campaign slogan, voters in Santa Monica approved by 81% a $25-million library bond that will finance a building expansion for the main library and improvements for its three branches.
Opponents of San Diego's Proposition C to construct a new $411-million ballpark for the Padres failed to convince voters that the city's funding projections were flawed and could sink plans for a new downtown library in the future.
Colorado. Denver Public Library successfully passed a bond levy to build a new branch at Lowery Air Force Base to replace the current Montebello branch. Other library bond issues passed in Penrose, West Routt, Eagle County, and Burlington; millage increases failed in Weld and South Routt.
Connecticut. A $4.9-million bond issue for a new library passed by a two-to-one margin in Plainville. In West Hartford a charter-revision referendum was passed that allows the library board to recommend a salary range to the town council.
Florida. Union County Public Library won a mandate when 72% of voters approved another two-year special operating millage on October 1. The assessment will raise approximately $62,000 for library operations in this rural county. A similar referendum passed in Wilton Manors, near Fort Lauderdale.
Illinois. Republican Al Salvi lost his bid to become Illinois Secretary of State and ex officio state librarian to Democrat Jesse White. Salvi supported the use of filtering software and accused White of being "X-rated" on pornography because he opposes filters on First Amendment grounds.
Nineteen public library referenda questions in 15 voting districts were on the ballot statewide. Thirteen were successful, among them a new library district for New Berlin; increases in tax rate and debt limit for Ford Heights to rebuild its library system; a 20-cent property tax increase narrowly passed by Cahokia Public Library District residents; and an $8.8-million proposal to demolish an old junior high school in Batavia and build a new library-however, voters turned down a proposed six-cent tax increase to operate the new facility.
In addition, 22 out of 28 school districts passed measures to upgrade library media programs.
McHenry County residents rejected a proposal for a library tax-rate increase. The public library is understaffed, has no computers, and does not meet the minimum Illinois Library Association standard for a core collection. The failure is blamed on a crowded referenda slate that forced voters to make tough choices.
Iowa. Residents of Clive, a suburb of Des Moines, passed a $1.75-million bond issue to construct its first public library. Other new facilities were approved in Eldora and Urbandale, in both cases by 76%.
Louisiana. St. Tammany Parish voters agreed to renew a 6.33-mill property tax used to operate the parish's 11 public libraries. Ten other referenda passed, with only one failure, in Jefferson Davis Parish.
Maryland. Baltimore residents passed Question F, a $3-million bond issue for the Enoch Pratt Free Library, by a 94% margin. The funds will be used to plan for a regional library in southeast Baltimore.
In Prince George's County, voters passed by 87% $1.8-million dollars in library facilities bonds.
Michigan. A total of 11 out of 14 millage questions were approved in the elections. Library districts in Oakland County came out well: Highland Township approved a $5.8-million bond issue for a new library as well as a levy to fund its operation for 12 years, and White Lake Township increased its library millage.
Wayne County's Brownstown Township failed to pass a new 2-mill levy to start a township library, but organizer Carole Thorogood has vowed to try again next year.
The Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham won voter approval for reinstating its original 1.75 millage rate, which has been reduced since 1979.
Minnesota. Voters in Scott County agreed to remodel and expand the City of New Prague branch library by passing a millage increase that will raise $600,000.
Montana. Residents of Lewis and Clark County, Hill County, the Hamilton Library District, the Darby Library District, and Anaconda overwhelmingly gave a thumbs-up to paying more for improvements in library services.
Nebraska. Voters defeated a constitutional amendment to limit local and state government tax collections. The amendment limited tax revenue growth, with some exceptions, to increases in the consumer price index and amounts required by federal mandates.
Lincoln passed a $15.2-million bond issue to construct, furnish, and equip two 30,000-square-foot branch libraries in existing city parks. One will share space with a Walgreens drugstore in a small neighborhood park, while the other will be built on land in Densmore Park along with new baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and a YMCA.
Nevada. A Carson City proposal to boost property taxes by five cents per $100 of valuation for library expansion failed by a two-percent margin.
New Jersey. Voters in West Milford rejected by 61% a proposal to issue $4 million in bonds to pay for a larger public library. Library Trustee Thomas Parisi attributed the failure to a lack of detailed information about the plans.
New York. Library measures passed for improvements to libraries in Onondaga and Moreau.
Ohio. Cuyahoga County voters approved a 1.4-mill levy for its library district to buy more materials, provide more services to the homebound and elderly, and extend hours at its branches.
Bond issues also passed in Mount Gilead and Greenwich. Harbor-Topky Memorial Library in Ashtabula and Sandusky Library will use their new levy and bond revenues for expansion and renovation.
Oklahoma. State Senator Dave Herbert won reelection, despite a lawsuit he filed November 2 against the Oklahoma Christian Coalition after the group alleged he was in favor of minors having access to pornography in libraries. Herbert said he voted in favor of filtering software in a 1996 House resolution.
Beaver County voters turned down a tax issue to expand library services.
Oregon. Beaverton taxpayers approved a $21.9-million library bond for a new 67,000-square foot facility and new library materials and technology. In Eugene, an $8.8-million levy passed that will pay for more books, more hours, and more branches.
Half of the other funding proposals in the state were also approved, but Lebanon voters nixed a $4-million combined bond measure for a community center to house both a new library and a senior center. Completion of the center will be dependent upon raising an additional $4.8 million through grants and other fund development.
Pennsylvania. John Yudichak, director of development for the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre, defeated a Republican incumbent for a seat in the state legislature.
Plum Community Library found voters unwilling to accept a .5-mill tax to increase its budget, even after a strong endorsement from Plum's mayor.
Rhode Island. Newport residents voted to build an addition to the public library that will double its size. The measure, which calls for $3 million in bonds, passed by more than two to one.
In Exeter, 58% of the voters backed a controversial town council proposal to borrow up to $500,000 to help finance construction of a new library.
Utah. Salt Lake City citizens passed by 68% an $84-million measure to construct a 200,000-square-foot central library, build a parking garage and outdoor plaza for community events, demolish existing structures, and expand two branches.
In rural Millard County, 85% of voters supported a proposition to provide $143,990 for enlarging the Delta City Library.
Virginia. A referendum in Virginia Beach to renovate 17 aging elementary schools and libraries failed, while Arlington County voters endorsed $8 million for library renovations.
Washington. In Monroe, area voters approved the formation of a library taxing district, but failed to pass a $6.87-million bond issue to build a new library. Woodway taxpayers defeated a bond to become a part of the Sno-Isle Intercounty Rural Library District.
Voters in Fort Vancouver Regional Library District approved a 10-year, $4.5-million bond to construct and furnish a new 13,000-square-foot branch in the Three Creeks Library Capital Facility Area.
Wisconsin. Butler residents approved an advisory referendum to accept a gift of a new library from the Butler Library Foundation, which has offered to raise all the necessary funds. Extra operating expenses will probably only cost taxpayers an average of $6.30 per year.
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