Library asks for tax levy

The board of the Havre-Hill County Library is asking Hill County taxpayers to pay a little more to continue to have the full services — and possibly restore others — the library now provides.

Bonnie Williamson, retired director of the library and chair of the library’s funding foundation board, said the Havre-Hill County Library relies heavily on the foundation and Friends of the Library, which allows it to continue providing services that are regularly praised by users.

But, “operating a library on donations for any building improvements and the programs is certainly not a sustainable way to run a program,” she said.

The ballot in this year’s election allows voters to vote yes or no on a proposed 2-mill countywide levy that would support the library, $2.70 in taxes on a $100,000 home and $5.40 in taxes on a $200,000 home.

The Havre-Hill County Library the lowest per-capita income, she said.

A pamphlet about the levy request says that the library averages 1,423 users each week. Its 2015 budget allowed $20.09 per capita, while the average for other Montana libraries of the same size was $30.22 per capita.

The library is not alone in asking the voters for help with budgets.

The Hill County Commission has put a levy issue on the ballot to replace the levy that pays the bond used to build the Hill County Justice Center. That bond is paid off next year, and the county has asked the voters to approve a new levy for the same amount, to use to pay for maintenance, repairs and upgrades on that facility and other county infrastructure.

The 10-mill levy would amount to $13.50 on a $100,000 home and $27 on a $200,000 home. It would not increase taxpayers' obligation, but rather continue what is paid now rather than the rates dropping when the jail levy expires.

The Hill County Public Cemetery District also is asking for a levy, citing dropping revenue with people increasingly using cremations as a major problem for the district. The district still has its expenses to maintain the county cemeteries despite the drop in revenue and will soon need to replace aging equipment, its board said in a letter in the Havre Daily News. The district board is asking for a 3-mill levy that would cost $4.05 for a home with $100,000 taxable value and $8.10 for a home with $200,000.

Williamson said the city made cuts to its budget for the library already, and more are likely in the future. The board and library Director Rachel Rawn did their best to deal with the cuts, Williamson said.

“We want to be prepared, but more will be coming,” she said.

Because the city seems to be at its limit, the library board thought it would seek more from the county, Williamson added.

The library now receives $176,790 from the city and $109,580 from the county. Approving the 2-mill levy would increase the the county’s share by $73,058.