Library levy discussion dominates council meeting

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By Ryan Gauthier, Staff Writer Updated 1:31 AM Wednesday, February 3, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — A potential 0.75-mill operating levy for the Middletown Public Library system was the topic of heated discussion Tuesday, Feb. 2, as City Council hashed out details with library officials.

Library Director Doug Bean said the recession has made the library “more valuable than ever,” with more activity even after reducing library hours.

“I believe it’s our duty to allow voters a chance to speak on the issue,” Bean said. “I would be remiss if we did not offer them the chance.”

Bean said there has been no assurance this is the end of state funding cuts, which saw the system lay off 21 employees just last year. Likewise, the libraries’ hours of operation dropped from 72 hours per week to 47 as a direct result of the lost funding, Bean said.

The operating levy is expected to generate approximately $3.23 million annually for a five-year period. That amounts to around $23 every year for the owner of a $100,000 home.

Deborah Preston, the library’s fiscal officer, said the levy is aimed at restoring operating levels to those seen in 2008. Should voters eventually approve the levy, Preston said the library “absolutely” plans to restore the 21 positions cut last year.

“We may not be able to restore all of those lost through attrition,” she said.

Considering Preston expects state funding to drop another $500,000 in 2010, she said the system will be forced to make even more painful cuts this year if the levy does not pass.

2nd Ward Councilman A.J. Smith said he does not think the library is as important for area residents as ongoing police and public safety concerns, but said the final decision will rest in the hands of voters.

“I think we need to be very cautious about continually going to taxpayers over and over for what I consider to not be a top priority,” Smith said. “There are some people who have 10 to 15 medications they have to buy monthly. For them that $23 is a lot.”

Council took no action Tuesday, but will hear an emergency reading of an ordinance placing the 0.75-mill operating levy on May ballots during its Feb. 16 meeting. As the Middletown Public Library’s taxing authority, City Council decides whether or not an issue is placed on the ballot.

Council members voted 6-0-1 in favor of a contract with the Butler County Regional Transit Authority establishing a weekday bus route between Middletown and Oxford and creating after-hour bus service by request for Middletown residents. Vice-Mayor Anita Scott Jones abstained from the vote, as she sits on the BCRTA’s board.

Council also unanimously approved collective bargaining agreements with the city police department for labor contracts running through 2012. Patrol officers, sergeants and lieutenants will get a 2.5-percent raise effective Jan. 1, 2010. They will then get a 3-percent raise on Jan. 1, 2011, an additional 2.5-percent increase on Nov. 1, 2011 and another 0.5-percent five months later on April 1, 2012.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or rgauthier@coxohio.com.

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