Voters approve millage rate increase for Fayetteville Public Library expansion

Fayetteville voters on Tuesday (Aug. 9) approved a millage increase that will help pay for an almost $50 million expansion of the city’s public library.

Two questions were on the ballot: one to approve 1.5 mills for maintenance and operation of the library and the other, to approve 1.2 mills to pay for a $26 million bond issue to finance construction of about 88,000 square feet of new space for programming and special events.

The unconfirmed tally for item 1 was 3,615 votes for (58.6%) the increase and 2,549 votes against. The unconfirmed tally for item 2 was 3,437 votes for (55.7%) the increase and 2,725 votes against. Just under 12% of registered voters turned out to vote.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $49.3 million. Just over half, or $26.5 million, is set up to be financed by the millage. The balance of the project, nearly $23 million, would come from a private capital campaign, now underway. Koenig said pledges to the private capital campaign have been made but declined to announce the pledges.

Kim Agee, a member of the library board of trustees member of the Build Fayetteville’s Future committee that campaigned for the millage vote, said the vote is another affirmation of why Fayetteville is a “cool place.”

“I would just like to thank the citizens of Fayetteville for supporting the library. It’s just a huge part of why Fayetteville is an incredibly cool place,” Agee told Talk Business & Politics. “I think the people of Fayetteville recognize that nobody likes a tax, but our citizens recognizes that this tax is a worthy one. … We are a city of learning. And we are very lucky to have a city government that supports our library and our ideal of learning.”

Maylon Rice, secretary of the library board of directors, said, “future generations will be the recipient of the vote tonight.” Prior to Tuesday, the library millage rate has not increased since 1948.

Residents now pay 1 mill in property taxes to support the library. The proposed increase, if approved, would increase the millage to 3.7 mills. The proposal will cost taxpayers about $2.44 on a residence with an assessed value of $100,000, according to supporters. That’s about the cost of a loaf of bread, they say.

Jeff Koenig, a retired local businessman and head of the campaign committee, said prior to the vote that maintenance and operation millage would be a permanent addition while the construction millage would be retired after the construction bonds were paid off. Koenig heads an eight-member civic committee heading up the campaign.

The existing library, of about 82,000 square feet, was built in 2004 at a cost of $26 million. Since, the facility has become a popular meeting place for children, students, citizens of all ages who participate in programs, utilize meeting spaces and computer labs, as well as checking out books, movies and other material.  There are some hobby and personal interest groups that use the library as a meeting place. The library had 619,000 visits last year, said Maylon Rice, secretary of library’s board of directors.

A central Arkansas group initially formed to fight immigration reform and tax increases worked to gather voter opposition to the millage increase.

“The estimated $5,180,000.00 increase in tax money that should first be spent on police, firefighters, roads, sewers, or utilities will instead be used to expand 80,000 square ft. to the city library’s campus and operating expenses. This includes a new two-level southern wing and an open-air plaza for concerts and community events,” the opposition group noted in a flyer.