Libraries worried about property tax ballot issue

FINDLAY — A year after lobbying against possible cuts to library funding, Ohio's libraries are now apprehensive about a proposed ballot measure that could eliminate property taxes in the state. Ohio libraries receive much of their funding from the Ohio Public Library Fund, which until last year was a percentage of the General Revenue Fund, derived primarily from sales tax and personal income tax. In 2025, Gov. Mike DeWine proposed an increase in funding for public libraries by codifying the Public Library Fund at 1.75% of the state's General Revenue Fund, up from 1.7%. However, the legislature changed the Public Library Fund from a percentage of the General Revenue Fund to a line-item appropriation. Having the Public Library Fund a line item in the state budget makes it harder to predict funding in the long term, as it could change any given year, said Sarah Clevidence, director of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library. The McComb Public Library and the Findlay library are the only library systems entirely within Hancock County. Five others located primarily within other counties also serve a smaller number of Hancock County residents and receive some of Hancock County's share of the Public Library Fund: the Forest-Jackson Public Library, Bluffton Public Library, Ada Public Library, Hardin Northern Public Library and Kaubisch Memorial Public Library in Fostoria. The Findlay library's $4 million budget in 2025 included $2.7 million from the Public Library Fund, along with nearly $886,000 from a local levy. Additional funding sources included grants, fines and fees, investment earnings, gifts and donations, and miscellaneous sources. Voters approved a five-year renewal of the Findlay library's 0.5-mill levy in spring 2025. The levy was first approved in May 2010 to offset an annual loss of about $725,000 when the state cut public library funding by 22.7% between 2008 and 2010. But voters may be asked to vote on whether to eliminate property taxes in Ohio this fall. A proposed ballot measure, the Ohio Eliminate and Prohibit Taxes on Real Property Initiative, would amend the state constitution to abolish taxes on real property. Supporters of the initiative are currently gathering signatures and the measure may appear on the November ballot. The text of the measure states that, "This Amendment shall take effect on the first day of the year after it passes." "It's immediate, as of January 1," said Jane Schaffner, director of the McComb Public Library. "So our board would have some really difficult decisions to make." The McComb library's 1-mill levy is next up for renewal in 2029. In 2025 it provided the library with $99,000 out of an overall budget of around $350,000. The local property tax levies make up approximately 22% of the Findlay library's overall budget and 28% of McComb's. And while some government entities may be able to seek tax revenue from other sources, such as the Findlay City Schools earned income tax levy, this isn't legally a possibility for libraries, Clevidence said. "For libraries, there is no other option," she said. So if property taxes in Ohio cease to exist, it would mean significant cuts. In Findlay, the levy funds are more than double what the library spends on materials each year. The largest expense, at $2.7 million, is salaries and benefits. Clevidence confirmed that the library has reduced staffing via attrition in recent years, but said there have been no layoffs. She said expenses are going up. Libraries, like anyone else, must pay their utility bills and buy needed supplies. Schaffner said the McComb library will need to look at capital projects in the near future, including a new roof for the building. They were able to install new carpet recently at a cost of just $116 to the library, thanks to a grant from the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation. The cost of books, too, is increasing. As one example, Clevidence mentioned the two most recent books in the Cormoran Strike detective series, written by British author J.K. Rowling under the pen name Robert Galbraith. The most recent book, "The Hallmarked Man," came out in 2025. The 903-page book cost $40. The previous book, "The Running Grave," was 947 pages in length but cost $33 when it came out in 2023, Clevidence said. She said if the property tax measure makes it to the November ballot, libraries will be working hard to inform the community on what abolishing property taxes would mean. "That would be difficult, to think how we could shave nearly a quarter of our budget," she said. Clevidence said the Findlay library has a good relationship with local elected officials and a group was able to meet with Rep. Ty Mathews (R-Findlay) while lobbying last spring. They also heard from community members who had also written their legislators on behalf of Ohio libraries. "We got some really nice notes from folks," Clevidence said. Schaffner said that it's rare in Ohio for a library levy not to pass or renew, another indication that voters in the state support their libraries. Both Clevidence and Schaffner said community supporters have donated materials as well as funds to help their libraries. Clevidence tells people who ask, "The most important thing you can do to support libraries is use them." Libraries keep statistics about the numbers of visitors and how many materials are checked out, and these statistics get shared with legislators. Using your library and being informed about what it offers are great ways to show your support, she said. "I think our patrons are our greatest advocates out in the community," Clevidence said. The Ohio Library Council recently released a survey that found that 90% of Ohioans say public libraries are important to their local community, and rank among the highest rated local services, and 69% recall a specific time their library helped them personally. "Ohioans don't just appreciate their libraries, they rely on them on a daily basis," said Michelle Francis, executive director of the OLC, in a statement. "They are locally supported, widely used, and deeply embedded in their communities. This research shows that people see real, personal value in the services libraries provide. They understand that library funding isn't abstract." Statewide, Ohio's 251 public library systems log more than 48 million visits each year, among the highest library usage rates in the nation. The OLC reports that 7.4 million Ohioans hold library cards. The OLC issued a joint press release with the Ohio Township Association in late February. Along with the library survey data, the release shared data on townships including that 64% of Ohioans surveyed say townships provide many of the most basic services people rely on; 79% of township residents support keeping funding authority local; and 85% are satisfied with fire and ambulance services, and 74% are satisfied with parks and recreation. Ohio's 1,308 townships maintain more than 41,000 miles of local roads, more than the Ohio Department of Transportation, the release states. While the joint press release does not directly mention the ballot measure, it does state that, "Across Ohio, public libraries rely on locally approved property tax levies, which now account for more than half of their overall funding statewide. Townships rely heavily on locally approved property taxes — about two-thirds of their revenue on average to fund essential services." "Ohioans view their libraries and township services as everyday necessities, not optional amenities," said Neil Newhouse, a nationally respected pollster with Washington-based Public Opinion Strategies who conducted the research. "What the data show is that appreciation for the services comes first. When voters understand how those services are funded locally, support for maintaining that funding follows."