IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) In next week’s primary election, Dickinson County residents will decide on a millage proposal that impacts the county’s public library services. Library Director Megan Buck explained, noting that it covers approximately 85% of the library’s operating budget, which funds essential services including staff salaries, material purchases, and utilities for the main branch in Iron Mountain, the Norway Solomonson branch, and the North Dickinson branch.
“So the library will have a mileage on the ballot at the primary coming up next week, and that is our operating millage. So that is the money that we use to run all 3 branches: the main branch in Iron Mountain, the Solomonson branch in Norway and the branch out in North Dickinson. That is the money we use to pay the staff, to purchase materials, to keep the lights on. It’s our operating budget. It does make up about 85% of our funding so without the local millage, you can imagine the cuts that we would have to make for continued operation of the library when you have 85% or so of your budget that would be missing.”
The proposal includes a renewal to counteract the effects of the Headlee Amendment, which rolled back the library’s previous millage rate from 0.9 mils to 0.8988 mils. The ballot language aims to restore the rate to its original 0.9 mils by adding a small increase.
“So this is a renewal that’s worded a little bit differently because of the Headlee rollback. So there was some legislation: it’s referred to as Headlee, that says if property values go up at a rate greater than inflation then millage rates roll back so that your taxes aren’t increasing at such a high rate. We did have a Headlee rollback a few years ago and so our millage was rolled back instead of .9 mils to 0.8988. It’s a very small amount, but it does add up. It could add up over time if we continue to see those rollbacks. So we are wording our millage language for a renewal of what was collected last year – the 0.8988 – and a new millage of that .0012 to make up for that Headlee rollback.”
Buck states that the library would have to face cuts if the millage fails.
“So if the millage doesn’t pass, we will definitely have to make cuts, and then we will go into basically so like a survival mode for the library and of course, we would put it back on a ballot next year in hopes of passing so that we could restore all the same services and hours that we’re currently offering to the public”
Buck also addressed recent misinformation regarding a material challenge that occurred in 2022. A graphic novel, appropriately shelved in the adult section, was checked out by a teenager, leading to a parental challenge over its content. In response, the library reorganized its graphic novel (comic book) collection into several distinct sections for different age groups to prevent similar issues in the future. They are now labeled as kids in the kids room, the “tween” (6th-8th), young adult (9th-12th), and then “Adult” 18 & up. “It doesn’t mean that every item in the adult collection isn’t appropriate, for a youth it just means that if we have something that’s less appropriate for youth it’s going to be shelved in that collection,” informed Buck.
“After the challenge, we removed the tween and the young adults in the shelves in the reading room, and we put the adult collection all the way on the back wall of the library. And since then we moved it again so that we could accommodate some more books. But the goal was in response to the challenge to recognize that we understood where the parents were coming from, that there was a concern that they shared with us regarding the content their teen came across,” Buck explained. “And to try to ensure that for anyone else using the library, this wouldn’t be an accidental find. Which I do think is what happened. It was an accidental check out, maybe the cover caught attention or the title caught attention without knowing what the content of the book was going to be, she continued, adding, “Our goal isn’t to have anyone accidentally check out something that’s not for them. Our goal is to keep the library available for everyone with material for every interest at every age level, and we respect a parent’s right and responsibility to censor for their own children.”
As the library wraps up its summer reading program, Buck encourages residents to visit and explore the library’s services. “We have some really great services and new collections that we would love to show you. If something doesn’t sound like what you associate with your public library, come in and see for yourself,” she urged.
For more information on the Dickinson County Library, visit:
