Library faces tough financial decisions

L’ANSE — Proposal One wasn’t the only tax increase voters in Baraga County rejected on Tuesday.

The millage to support the Public Library was also turned down. Without the millage and L’Anse Area Schools no longer able to pay for its operation, changes will be coming to the library.

L’Anse Area Schools Superintendent Carrie Meyer said, “I was anticipating that it would pass but, in the back of my mind, you always have to have an alternative plan and so we do have an alternative plan where there will be a cut in hours and personnel throughout the library.”

As school officials work out the budget for the 2015–16 school year, some tough decisions will have to be made.

Meyer said, “I have right now a $650,000 deficit budget that I need to find areas throughout our district that we can cut. The Board of Education cannot justify cutting in other areas of education and not looking at the public library.”

The polls show that the millage vote was closer in the Village of L’Anse than the outlying areas, suggesting that those who lived nearer to the library were more likely to support it.

But even with that coupled with a large negative turn–out for Prop One, the failure of the Baraga County Public Library millage still comes as a surprise.

Meyer said, “I was really thinking that this was going to pass. I had a lot of positive feedback, the committees worked hard trying to get the word out and, despite Proposal One going down, I thought that this millage would have passed for our community.”

The budget for the school system will be completed by the end of June. Residents should start to see whatever changes are coming to their library by July 1st.