Library levy approved

By DREW STAMBAUGH

Enterprise Sports Editor

The Swanton Public Library will have a levy on the November ballot. The 0.5-mill levy was approved by the Swanton School Board by a vote of 3-2 last week.

Dennis Heban, Mona Dyke and Michael Wiederman voted to allow the levy to go on the ballot in November. Jeff Michael and Cynthia Irmen voted no.

"We believe it's imperative to the education of the students in Swanton and our community that we maintain a strong and viable library," said library board president Tom Zimmerman. "Over the past few years, we've experienced shortfalls of around $30,000. That shortfall is primarily due to the fact that the state has cut funding, frozen funding to the libraries."

The levy would raise about $102,000 per year and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $15.31 per year.

Michael said he had heard Lucas County residents voice displeasure that they are already being taxed for the Lucas County Public Library system and that the library levy could conflict with the school district's income tax levy.

"I've also pledged not to support any new levies through my term on school board," he said. "That is a pledge I don't really want to go back on."

Library officials said they didn't want to have seek levy money but were left with little choice.

"With the slowed economy we're experiencing in Ohio, we don't see a light at the end of the tunnel for awhile," Zimmerman said. "So, with hesitation, we're moving forward with this levy action."

The school board is required to sign off on the levy because the Swanton Public Library is a school district library. However, no money generated from the levy would go through the school district, according to school district treasurer Cheryl Swisher. It goes directly to the library.

"The reason that it requires school board action is that their funding from the state is based on the school district ADM and other factors," Swisher said. "And that is how they were established under Ohio Revised Code."

The money is needed, according to Dyke.

"I know that it is a point of last resort for them," said Dyke. "They had managed over the years to accumulate quite a nest egg of savings that they've been spending down over the past few years, so they've gotten to the point where it's going to be gone very shortly and they don't want to wait till it's too late."