Library Millage

The county administration recommended the library be taken off its very own millage or tax rate for the upcoming budget year. The council, in a 4 to 2 vote ignored that recommendation and choose to keep the library on its own tax rate. I supported the administration. It is about fairness. No one is looking to close any library, nor cut hours, nor cut their budget. In fact, their budgeted amount will be the same. This proposal only takes the library off its own tax system, which gives it unfair advantages over the other departments. All need to be on the same system and treated equally.

When you look at your tax bill, you will see different county tax rates. One is county operations at 63.7 mills, another the county library at 5.1 mills. The 63.7 mills raises about $42 million and it funds most all county departments like the sheriff, solid waste, probate court, personnel and about 25 other departments.The 5.1 mills raises about $3.5 million, devoted exclusively to the library. The library should not have its own tax rate, when other departments like the sheriff and EMS (public safety) are clearly more important and are lumped in with every other department.

Each department like the sheriff has a budget, which was $15.8 million in 2022. That is the maximum the sheriff receives, not a penny more. The library having its own tax rate, its revenue grows throughout the year as new cars are tagged, and houses are built. The library started 2022 with a budget of $3.7 million, but by year end collected $4 million. Again, why should the library have this advantage when the sheriff and other departments like veterans affairs do not?

Having its own tax rate, the library has its own account and its own savings. Its cash balance on 6/30/22 was $3.6 million. EMS, vehicle maintenance and the auditor are lumped in with every other department. They don’t have their own account. No savings. This is unfair to those employees who are working just as hard.

The library budget was $3.7 million and it spent $3.6 million in 2002. It got to keep that $100,000, plus the extra $300,000 it collected during the year on the revenue side. That $400,000 was added to their savings and they can spend it in the future.

The sheriff was budgeted $15.833 million, and only spent $15.645 million. Unlike the library, the sheriff’s department can not keep that $188,000 surplus. Like the other departments, it must return it to the general fund because they have no separate account to keep the surplus and carry it forward to next year. All departments (including the library) need to be on the same system and treated equally.

The library also has its very own capital funds to buy equipment and do building renovations. As a result, it doesn’t have to compete with other departments for limited capital funding. If the library has XYZ project, it just needs to be approved.

Building maintenance, in contrast, is housed in the very old and breaking down Hinkle Jeep Building (1971). To get renovations done, building maintenance has to show its need is greater than the needs of the other departments and their $69 million in requests. And then get approval.

One advantage is the library has its own account and savings, and due to all these advantages, the library’s cash balance has ballooned. In June 2022 it was $3.6 million adding $332,000 the past year; June 2021: $3.3 million adding $400,000; June 2020 it added $436,000 and in 2019, $344,000 was added to savings. Staggering amounts when other department have no savings at all.

There is also a lack of the skillset on the library board to manage their $4 million budget. For example, when asked they didn’t know how to calculate budget revenue for next year. There is also a lack of skills to manage 4 buildings. Additionally, there is too much conflict between the library director/ board and the county administration as who is to provide what, and pay how much. Putting the library on a budgeted revenue stream will eliminate much of that conflict and get the county administration involved in library budget management.

So the second issue discussed in that article was how to spend that savings? The library board and director want to spend it at the Easley library, mainly in an expansion costing $3.3 million at that branch alone.

First, the Easley library is relatively new, built in 2007. The other branches are older, more in need as Central-Clemson was built in 1997, Liberty in 1996 and the Pickens branch is in an old funeral home built in 1972.

Second, visitors to the library branches have been trending down for the past decade or so. In 2010 the library system had 575,410 visitors. In 2022 visitors fell to 262,151. None of the branches need more space, particularly the Easley branch which now occupies 53,000 sqf. The Easley library is already larger than the county building (40,000 sqf) which houses most all of county government. The library board and director want to add 12,000 sqf and expand the Easley branch to 65,000 sqf. I oppose that.

Instead, I think that money should be spent at all the library branches, first, on essential needs like painting and replacing worn out carpets, roofs and ancient HVACs. Functional upgrades are a higher priority too, like putting in a new sink, counter and storage space in the Liberty branch, a larger double door entrance at Pickens (and fixing sewer backup problems there), and installing adequate lighting at the Central branch.

In sum, the Easley branch is relatively new, it doesn’t need any more space and the proposed renovations there (e.g., replacing the closed coffee shop with a vending area) are low priorities, when you look at the maintenance and repairs needed system wide and at all the library branches.