Clawson Lists Options on Library Millage Question

In a presentation before the Library Board and Friends of on Tuesday, City Manager Mark Pollock said if voters do not pass the library millage in May, the city will have to cut services or reduce library hours and days of operation.  

If the 0.3 mill tax increase does pass, the library will collect about $100,000 more increasing library tax revenue to the $430,000 it needs for operational costs, Pollock said. The current 1 mill would only generate $325,000.

Taxable property values in Clawson have dropped from $408 million in 2008 to $328 million in 2010 lowering the revenue that 1 mill brings in, Pollock said.

Pollock stressed that the city can't afford the estimated $100,000 the library would need to continue its services without making more cuts at the city level. Some of those cuts would include layoffs, leaf pick-up, snow plowing and slower response time for police.

If the city decides not to supplement the library budget, the library may have to consider cutting hours or closing in the summer.

"We're not being greedy here," Pollock said. "We're asking for what it will take to balance the budget."

Reaching out

The library has already started making calls to registered voters in Clawson to educate them on the library millage, board members said Tuesday. The library has gained some support from voters through these calls.

"We've got a beautiful library," said Eva Burns, president of the library board. "We know times are hard, but we have to maintain what we've got." 

How much will it cost?

In Clawson, the average taxable value of a home is $49,500 and the millage would cost that homeowner $16.49 a year.

To figure out how much the millage would cost, visit mytaxcalc.com/clawson. On the site, taxable home value, income and household details are used for the calculation.

Non-resident fees?

Blair Memorial Library  has a reciprocal agreement with the Troy Public Library where residents in either community can use the other's library at no cost. However, when Troy's library closes on May 1, Troy residents will have to pay a yearly $100 non-resident fee to use the Clawson library.

Library Director Elizabeth Gulick said while she expects increased usage by Troy residents, the non-resident fees won't bring in enough revenue to hire more employees and add parking spots or computers. The library board may consider a limit on how many non-resident cards they can distribute.

"Our first responsibility is to Clawson residents," Gulick said.