Thank you for supporting the LDL 2024 Millage! We are thrilled about the opportunity to provide more services to our wonderful community. Please stay tuned for all we have in store!
The Loutit District Library August 6, 2024, Millage
This August, the Loutit District Library will be on the Ottawa County primary election ballot with a millage ask. We want to make sure our community is adequately informed of the upcoming millage request. Below includes information on what a millage is, why the Loutit District Library is making this request, what changes would be able to occur with a passing vote, and what the millage means to the average taxpayer. The official ballot language can also be found below.
For any questions regarding the August 6 millage request, please give us a call at (616)850-6900 or leave a comment below.
What Is a Millage?
“A millage rate is the rate at which property taxes are levied on property. Property taxes are computed by multiplying the taxable value of the property by the number of mills levied, where a mill is 1/1000 of a dollar.”
Source: michigan.gov
“A millage is a tax on property, levied at the local, municipal level after being approved through a popular vote on a ballot initiative. The millage is the amount per $1,000 of the taxable value of property.”
Source: milibraries.org
For example, a .1 mill tax rate on a home valued at $100,000 would generate $10 in taxes.
What Is a Headlee Override?
“The Headlee Amendment and Proposal A certainly protected property owners from increases in taxes by rolling back the tax rate (millage). They have also limited local government revenue, in some cases, to the point where they contribute to budget constraints. With revenue growth limited, even local units that have been fiscally conservative are finding themselves facing uncertain budget situations. […]
Because of this, some local government units turn to what’s known as a Headlee Override. A Headlee Override involves asking the voters to approve raising the millage rate to its original rate after it has been forced to be rolled back because of growth in property values.”
Source: msu.edu
Why the Loutit District Library Is on the Ballot August 6, 2024:
- The Library’s approved millage rate decreases annually due to the Headlee Rollback – it decreased from the community-approved rate of 1 mill to .9410 mill beginning with the July 1, 2025 tax year.
- Fixed expenses have risen faster than property tax increases. For instance, two primary vendors raised annual costs 12-18%.
- A portion of the library’s taxes are captured for local projects.
- Revenue from penal fines has decreased.
- Additionally, revenue from Port Sheldon taxes has been reduced due to the closure of the Campbell Generating Plant.
- The library wants to increase services to meet community needs.
What the Library Is Offering Now:
Aside from print and digital books, music, magazines, and movies….
- Numerous adult, teen, and children’s programs:
- Storytimes, yoga, StoryWalks®, escape rooms, and much more for kids
- Trivia nights, Sunday music concerts, history programs, Speed Friending, Coffee & Coloring, crafts, and many more programs for adults.
- Study, meeting, and program rooms for the community to use.
- Staff who specialize in assisting with technology, educational research, and genealogy.
- Availability to return books via the Robinson Township Drop Box.
- The Grand Adventure Summer Reading and Winter Reading Challenges.
- A month-long celebration of community and connection with Kindness Month in February.
- Collaboration with small, local businesses during September’s Show Your Library Card event.
- And so much more!
Just added! A new vinyl album collection and media center room with record player listening stations, all donated by Burton Brooks and the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation. The albums can be checked out, along with a record player if needed, starting June 7th.
What the Loutit District Library Will Offer With This Supplemental Millage Request:
- Expand general library hours and services.
- Expand Local History & Genealogy hours and services – Loutit District Library is now the main provider of genealogy services in Ottawa County.
- Develop an outreach program to connect with more seniors and children in the library district, expand services to rural areas and small businesses, and provide homebound delivery.
- Staff a planned community maker/artisan space that will be made possible through donations.
- Add lockers in Robinson Township for the delivery of materials, as a compliment to the already available book drop.
What the 10-Year Millage Means to Taxpayers:
- A 10-year supplemental rate of .1557, which will cost taxpayers $15.57 per $100,000 assessed property value.
- The millage will generate approximately $450,000 annually for the library.
- More outreach, rural, and in-house services for the community.
What the Library Millage Proposal Will Look Like on the Ballot:
Shall the Loutit District Library, County of Ottawa, Michigan, be authorized to levy annually a new additional millage in an amount not to exceed .1557 mill ($0.1557 per each $1,000 of taxable value) against all taxable property within the Loutit District Library district for a period of ten (10) years, 2025 to 2034, inclusive, for the purpose of restoring the millage rate previously authorized and providing additional funds for all district library purposes authorized by law? The estimate of the revenue the Loutit District Library will collect if the millage is approved and levied by the Loutit District Library in the first year (2025) is approximately $450,000. By law, a portion of the revenue from the millage may be subject to capture by the City of Grand Haven Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. A portion of the revenue from this millage will be disbursed to the Howard Miller Public Library (Zeeland) pursuant to a contract.
Yes □
No □
Why is some revenue going to the Howard Miller Library in Zeeland?
Sue,
The agreement between the Loutit District Library and the Howard Miller Public Library has been in place since LDL became a district library in 1999. The agreement exists because some library patrons living on the edge of LDL’s district primarily use HMPL. LDL receives tax revenue from these residents because of where they live and then pays that tax revenue forward to HMPL, since they incur costs associated with these patrons. Regarding revenue and expenses, these two things essentially “cancel each other out.”
I, too, would like to understand why revenue is owed to Zeeland, in addition to the City of GH taking money for the Brownfield Redevelopment. Thank you!
Mary Jo,
The agreement between the Loutit District Library and the Howard Miller Public Library has been in place since LDL became a district library in 1999. The agreement exists because some library patrons living on the edge of LDL’s district primarily use HMPL. LDL receives tax revenue from these residents because of where they live and then pays that tax revenue forward to HMPL, since they incur costs associated with these patrons. Regarding revenue and expenses, these two things essentially “cancel each other out.”
The Loutit District Library is included in the Brownfield Redevelopment revenue capture because it is located within the DDA district and due to a 2017 law that, when it went into effect, forced LDL to “opt-in” to the revenue capture due to the fact that the Brownfield Redevelopment Program was already in existence.
In addition to the above, I’d like to know if the library still owns the parcel of property on Robbins road that was purchased for a new library before they remodeled current location?
Bob,
The Loutit District Library no longer owns the property on Robbins Rd.
Are there other agreements in place similar to the agreement between the Loutit District Library and the Howard Miller Public Library? Does Loutit Library receive funds from other libraries when patrons not living in Loutit’s service area use our library? Do other libraries in the consortium contribute funds to Howard Miller Public Library? How does this all work?
I think the public is seeking better clarity on this relationship. Looking at service maps, library patrons living on the southern edge of LDL’s district (Fillmore Street) would be closer to Herrick Public Library’s two locations in Holland. Do we have a similar agreement with Herrick Public Library?
Furthermore, what constitutes the “portion of the revenue” that will be dispersed to Howard Miller Public Library? How is the exact figure determined? And how much revenue from the millage can be “subject to capture by the City of Grand Haven Brownfield Redevelopment Authority”? Quite simply, how much of the revenue will actually be going to support Loutit Public Library?
Dan,
Because of the depth of your questions, I reached out to our Library Director, Ellen Peters. Below are her answers to your questions:
Are there other agreements in place similar to the agreement between the Loutit District Library and the Howard Miller Public Library?
There is another similar agreement, but it’s different in how the money is collected. The District had an agreement, going back to the original agreement, that pays Howard Miller and Spring Lake Library District a small amount each year. We’re bound by law to do this. The money for Spring Lake, however, does not come from property taxes or our operating fund. This money comes from Penal Fines collected by the county for that area of service, which is why it’s not part of the ballot language. The reason for this is that LDL absorbed Ferrysburg customers/taxes from Spring Lake’s customer base. It was, like with Howard Miller, set up to compensate for their loss.
Does Loutit Library receive funds from other libraries when patrons not living in Loutit’s service area use our library?
No.
Do other libraries in the consortium contribute funds to Howard Miller Public Library? How does this all work?
Not to our knowledge.
I think the public is seeking better clarity on this relationship. Looking at service maps, library patrons living on the southern edge of LDL’s district (Fillmore Street) would be closer to Herrick Public Library’s two locations in Holland. Do we have a similar agreement with Herrick Public Library?
No, we don’t have an agreement with Herrick. These specific customers are in the Robinson Township area that is in Zeeland’s District. We get their customer’s tax revenue, so the agreement evens it out.
Furthermore, what constitutes the “portion of the revenue” that will be dispersed to Howard Miller Public Library?
It is a small slice from Robinson Township’s tax collected and only those properties near to Zeeland. We take that taxable value of the Zeeland District of Robinson Township and divide it by the Loutit District Library total taxable value to come up with a factor. Then we take the factor and multiply that by total property tax revenue received each quarter. Last FY22/23 the total paid was $44,089.01. The first three quarters of this FY23/24 the total paid so far is $46,016.50. The fourth quarter will be paid in July and be posted back to 06/30/24. Again, basically, LDL is returning the tax money we collect from Zeeland’s District.
How is the exact figure determined? And how much revenue from the millage can be “subject to capture by the City of Grand Haven Brownfield Redevelopment Authority”?
Currently, we are paying the DDA toward projects. Our obligation to projects started prior to 2017 will end in 2034, at which time they will no longer capture tax revenue from the library moving forward, per a 2017 Michigan law. The library’s portion is just over $40,000.
Quite simply, how much of the revenue will actually be going to support Loutit Public Library?
Most of the property taxes collected support the Loutit District Library, about 98.5%. Our fiscal challenges are much more a result of annual Headlee Rollbacks which reduce our millage rate each year, as well as vendor and other fixed costs that are increasing at a much higher rate than the property tax coming in.
Thank you for such a detailed response. Hopefully this long ago agreement with Zealand wasn’t made in perpetuity. Perhaps service lines need to be redrawn. What is clear is that Loutit District Library provides a multitude of valuable services to our community and deserves the residents’ full support. I do intend to vote YES on the upcoming LDL millage, but I like to be fully informed and your clear, detailed explanations are much appreciated!
Very well said. However, the “You have to pass the Bill first before we can know what is in it” rationale must be handled with a clear message: NO! NOT ON MY WATCH! When I do laundry, it involves my clothes not my budget. Our message must be clear. Otherwise, we will suffer continued abuse without accountability. How can you hold anyone accountable for a budget with so much ambiguity?!?! Too many hands in the cookie jar. Vague benefits mentioned for local residents. Ate up a special grant for those who need help outside the boundaries…. Be specific about the verbiage. If this passes, my guess is that Grand Haven residents will not benefit but they will sure pay. Be specific about the amounts paid and to what type of programs. We also have a right to know specifically, in detail, what programs are being funded because we must protect our children.
I vote by mail and gave the library millage a yes.
Everyone’s cost has gone up, we must live within our means. The library should also.
Maybe create a fundraiser for the money you are looking to collect from the additional taxes.
This doesn’t seem like the right economic conditions to be asking for more money and adding additional services.