Library director Stephanie Buchanan has a simple answer for people wondering why the Bucyrus Public Library is seeking renewal of a 0.5-mill, five-year levy for current expenses on the May 2 ballot.
“We need it,” she said.
The levy, first approved by voters in May 2018, generates roughly $190,000 a year for the library — 21% of its annual revenue. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 pays $17.50 a year, and that would not change if the issue is renewed, Buchanan explained.
“So it’s not a great deal of money for each of the taxpayers, but for us, it’s really important,” she said.
Most of the library’s revenue, 75%, comes from the state’s public library fund. The library serves about 44% of the county, or roughly 18,000 to 18,500 people, she said. The rest is served by the Crestline and Galion library systems.
“We could we could operate without the levy, but that’s it,” Buchanan said….
