By David Fleet
Editor
Brandon Twp.-Despite a 10 percent increase in expenditures since 2001, Brandon Township Public Library officials say the loss of nearly $24,000 in annual revenues from Groveland Township will have minimal impact on operations at the three year old facility.
‘When we established the 2004 budget we did not include the revenues from Groveland Township,? said Joann Gavey, Brandon Township Library director.
‘The biggest impact will be no raises for staff in 2004, yet there will be no changes in library hours or programs. However the Book Mobile will no longer visit Groveland Township.?
The revenue loss stems from a recent rejection by the Groveland Township Board of a proposed 1.8265 mills to support the Brandon Township Library. The proposed formula would multiply the current Groveland taxable value, the current library millage rate (1.8265) and the 50 percent scale factor. The total revenues would have generated about $190,000.
Since 1998, Groveland Township had contributed about 3 percent of the total Brandon Township Library revenues. The Groveland funding which is set to expire on April 1,2004, paid for about 3,000 township library users. Conversely, Brandon Township residents approved one mill in 1987 and one mill approved by voters in 1998, to support the library. Due to the Headlee Amendment the millage amount will be rolled back every year. In 2003 total revenues collected from Brandon Township was $779,015.
‘We’re not going to look for more taxes,? added Gavey. ‘We’re limited by law to two mills.?
The Brandon Library is also required to set aside 10 percent in cash reserves and currently have about $300,000 in reserves or 20 percent of total revenues..
‘The main reason for requesting the increase was to change the imbalance between Groveland and Brandon townships,? said Matthew Ault, president Brandon Township Library board of trustees. ‘There is no emergency budget mode here at the Library. The balance between Groveland and Brandon was just not fair.?