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Special Election To Be Held For Fayetteville Library

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)– The Fayetteville Library is in a bind as the community grows and its budget doesn’t. They are asking voters to approve a millag...

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)-- The Fayetteville Library is in a bind as the community grows and its budget doesn't. They are asking voters to approve a millage increase during a special election which will be held August 9, 2016.

Every hour more than 180 people walk into the Fayetteville public library, and last year it had almost 620,000 visitors.

“This library has become so much more than the old model of just a place to come check out books. It`s really become a central piece to the city and a value in the quality of life we have here,” said executive director David Johnson.

According to executive director David Johnson, the library hasn't asked taxpayers for a millage increase since 1948.

Right now Fayetteville residents pay one mil for their library. To put that into prospective, if you own a 100-thousand dollar home that's about $20 a year. The library wants to raise that to 2.5 mils for operation and maintenance. They’re also asking for 1.2 mils for bonds and capital expansion,  which would be paid off in 25 to 30 years. This would all add up to about $75 a year.

The library is also an important part of economic development in the area said Johnson. He says since the Blair library opened nearly ten years ago there has been $194 million of development around it.

“You can also see that having an institution like this close by, businesses thrive, people want to live close by, people want to be associated with what the library has to offer,” he said.

If the millage doesn't pass, Johnson said the library will face a hard road ahead.

“The community has got to understand just how tough those choices are going to be on us. We do not want to close, we don`t want have to cut hours but it could be something that`s on the table for the future,” he said.

The Fayetteville City Council meeting is Tuesday (May 17), and it is expected to set an official special election date at the meeting.

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