District Library Board OKs millage language for August primary

The Belleville Area District Library Board at its regular meeting on April 12 approved a resolution spelling out the details of the question to go on the Aug. 2 primary election ballot to replace an operating millage that had expired last year.
Any questions to go on the Aug. 2 ballot were due to the county by 4 p.m., May 10.
Rather than call a special election for the school district with only one thing on the ballot last fall, the board decided to wait until the August primary to put the question on the ballot that was sure to .draw a lot of voters.
Since it wasn’t on a ballot last fall, the proposal cannot be called a renewal and is being referred to as a replacement millage.
As part of the resolution, the Belleville Area Independent, “a newspaper published or of general circulation within the District Library,” will be utilized for publication of notices in accordance with the election law requirements.
District Library
Operating Millage Proposal
This proposal will allow the District Library to levy additional millage in the City of Belleville, Charter Township of Van Buren, and Township of Sumpter for library operating purposes.
Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all taxable property within the geographical boundaries of the Belleville Area District Library, Wayne County, Michigan, be increased by 0.6864 mill ($0.6864 on each $1,000 taxable valuation) for a period of 15 years, 2022 to 2036, inclusive, to provide funds for library operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the District Library will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2022 is approximately $1,189,137 (this restores millage that expired with the 2021 tax levy)?
Board members have said since last fall that they will make an effort to explain to voters that even though the ballot language calls it “additional millage” it just replaces the millage that was approved by voters in the past and expired in 2021.
The board also had decided not to ask for the original millage amount that the Headlee Amendment had rolled back but to seek to renew the lesser Headlee amount.
In other business at the one-hour meeting, the board:
• Discussed the successful grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration for the library on April 9. At one point they were afraid they would run out of sandwiches, but out of 300 sandwiches, one was left. Library Director Mary Jo Suchy said over 400 people were counted by the counter at the front door. “It was over the moon,” she said of the celebration. “They hit it out of the park”;
• Learned that from 75 to 100 guests are expected for the April 29 special event for donors that gave funds to pay for amenities and special features for the new building;
• Heard Director Suchy announce that the library will be closed on Wednesday, April 27, for a staff, in-service training day. One focus of the day will be on library safety procedures and City Manager/Police Chief Dave Robinson will be on hand to answer any questions the staff may have;
• Heard Director Suchy also announce the recycling bin in the parking lot has been emptied twice since the last board meeting. There had been a problem with getting access to the bin to empty it, but that problem was solved. Also, Suchy said the library’s carpeting and tile was professionally cleaned by the library’s janitorial company in preparation for the library open house;
• Was advised the library’s microfilm reader and printer in the local history room have become obsolete, with parts and toner no longer available. A new reader and printer have been delivered with improved technology. The last microfilm reader, was purchased for the library in 2005 by the Belleville Rotary Club’s Charles B. Cozadd Foundation. Suchy said this new equipment will allow the library to embark on future digitization projects;
• Learned the former dishwasher that kept breaking down had an anode to prevent rust and it reacted to the water. The new dishwasher is a GE with a three-year warranty and works fine; and
• Heard board chairperson Sharon Peters say a June 1 museum visioning session has been set at the library by Van Buren Township and an online survey on the museum is scheduled for May. She said she hopes the community will have an operating museum to be the library’s partner in the cultural center of the town.