Library leaders, patrons ask county council to raise library tax rate
Representatives of independent public libraries in Sussex County and their patrons pleaded March 17 with Sussex County Council to increase the tax that helps support library operations.
“I understand tax increases are never an easy decision,” said Milford Public Library Director Lea Rosell. “However, the current funding model for libraries is simply unsustainable.”
Rosell said the libraries are also lobbying the state to increase its contribution, which pays 15% of operating costs.
After county and state contributions, the libraries have to raise funds to cover budget gaps, which range between 13% and 52%. That does not include capital expenditures, which libraries must fund themselves.
“In the meantime, libraries are being asked to do more with fewer resources,” Rosell said. “My colleagues and I are spending more and more time focused on generating revenue simply to keep our doors open and our lights on.”
In a Jan. 22 letter, 10 of the 11 independent libraries asked the county librarian to request that council double the tax rate to 0.0046 cents per $100 of property value, which would raise about $2.5 million more annually.
Increasing the library tax would result in a bill of $18.20 per year for a property assessed at $400,000. The bill for any particular property would vary, depending on its assessment.
The independent libraries now receive a total of about $3.1 million annually and divide that amount among themselves. There are also three county libraries that are operated and funded separately by the county: Milton, Greenwood and South Coastal in Bethany Beach.
Independent library officials said if council rejects a tax hike, they would like the county to create a working group with them to study the issue in hopes of reaching an agreement for a future increase.
Hundreds of postcards from patrons supporting a library tax increase – and noting how the libraries have affected their lives – were delivered to council at the meeting.
Council did not respond to the comments, as it typically does not during a public comment period, other than to thank those who spoke.
County Administrator Todd Lawson last month said it was always the intent that the independent libraries provide some of their own funding, and the county is typically reluctant to raise property taxes.
This year will be particularly difficult, as the county increases support for fire departments and creates a building permit fee to help fund school expansion to alleviate overcrowding resulting from the ongoing housing boom, Lawson said.
Rapidly increasing property values and new construction have increased revenue collected through the library tax, even with no increase in the tax rate, he said.
Revenue from the library tax has risen from $1.9 million to $3 million, or by 54%, since 2008, which has kept pace with the rate of inflation, County Finance Director Gina Jennings said last month.
The cost of operating facilities and providing programs is rising faster than the rate of inflation, library officials said March 17.
“All of the expenses are going up, but all of the services at the library are free, almost all,” said Kay Wheatley, president of the Rehoboth Public Library board. “As a result, our deficits are getting bigger. So we need help in addressing that.”
In many cases, the independent libraries have increased in size since 2005, which increases operating costs. Among the largest expansions were Georgetown, which grew from 2,000 to nearly 30,000 square feet, and Bridgeville, which increased from 1,180 to 13,490 square feet.
Several of the speakers March 17 emphasized the benefits of libraries.
“Miracles happen at the library,” said Dan Goodemote, vice president of Frankford Public Library board. “You know when I went to the library, I met George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Helen Keller, Clara Barton, Babe Ruth, Stephen King, all those people, and many, many more through the years.”
“I stand before you not just as a resident, not just as a taxpayer, but as a product of the library,” said Darren Tatum-Poole, a board member for Selbyville Public Library.
“There was a time in my life when I didn’t have access to much, not the latest technology, not resources at home,” Tatum-Poole said. “But I had a library. That building became my home, my classroom after school, my quiet place to think and, most importantly, my window to a bigger world.”
Britta Cordrey of Milton, a mother of two, said her family spends a lot of time every week at all the independent libraries. They use the homeschooling programs, she borrows digital and audio books, and they bring home piles of books.
“The librarians go out of their way to know my kids by name and support their love of reading, learning and research,” Cordrey said.
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
