Last month over 1,500 eligible voters signed a petition to the Marion City Council asking for a levy question to be put on the ballot. The current library levy of four cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation was passed in 1989. Since then Marion has experienced tremendous growth. The city's population grew by over 10,000 since the 2000 census. That growth has put pressure on the library and its resources.
If passed, the levy will raise the library property tax rate to twenty-seven cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. On a home valued at $100,000 that's an increase of $23.00, about the cost of single hardcover book.
From June 2011 to June 2012 Marion Public Library had over 370,000 visits. Compared to libraries in Marion's peer cities like Dubuque, Bettendorf, Cedar Falls and Urbandale, the Marion Library ranks first or second on a number of service output measures, but it ranks near the bottom on measures of capacity. Revenue raised from the proposed levy will be used for current and future operating expenses, including staff, materials, and architectural design work.
None of the levy revenue will be used for renovation construction. As part of the Imagine 8 project, the City plans to renovate and expand the library within the next two years. Funds for construction are to come from combination of the local option sales tax renewal, if passed, and future bonding. Our plan is to use some levy revenue now for architectural and engineering work, and then after the renovation and expansion of the facility, shift those funds to pay for the new staff we'll need for the larger building.
The public meeting scheduled for October 22nd is aimed at providing details about Marion's growth, the library's response to that growth and its current status, and address specific ways the new revenue will be used.
