ISHPEMING, Mich. (WZMQ) – For the first time in it’s history, the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library will have a new operating millage proposal on the city ballot this November.
For well over 100 years, the library has been maintained and majorly funded by the City of Ishpeming. Now, due to an inability to provide those funds, the city is asking for taxed assistance by its citizens. This would include a total levy of 2.5 mills or about $90 dollars per year to cover long-term financial stability and library operations through 2031.
“They expect around the first year to capture about $399,000, which is more than the city currently budgets for the library,” said ICPL Director Jesse Shirtz. “This would allow us to address building concerns, as our building is 122 years old.”
While the ICPL has held a strong historic footprint on the area, the last three years have shown tremendous popularity and growth alone. The library says close to 100,000 people visited, checking out over 165,000 items and taking part in over 900 programs.
If this proposal fails, those existing programs, cuts to staffing, and potential closures could be at stake.
“If it does not pass, we’re looking at a significant cut to all of those areas,” said Shirtz. “Reduction in staff, little to no programs, a much smaller circulating collection, and we would not be able to address those building concerns.”
Next to the general Ishpeming area, the library is also contracted to service five townships. Champion, Ely, Humbolt, Ishpeming Twp, and Tilden attribute close to 9% of the library’s annual budget.
The city plans to reach out to these areas in the coming weeks to try and gather more funding to help bolster the cause. For now, the future of the ICPL will be up to it’s city residents on November 3.
The full press release can be found on the Ishpeming City Facebook page.
