Ashley voters will see several levy issues on the ballot this year, including a replacement levy for the Wornstaff Memorial Public Library and a renewal levy for the village parks.
The library is asking for a replacement levy of 2 mills. The previous levy was also 2 mills, but by issuing a replacement levy, the library will receive funds based on the current property values in the village. The levy will cover programing, book collection, and maintenance of the building. If passed, the new levy will not go into effect until 2026. According to the sample ballot, the library will receive around $44,000 annually through the proposed levy.
The Village of Ashley is also asking residents to vote on a renewal levy of 1 mill for the village parks. If passed, the levy will bring in $13,000 annually. A renewal levy does not take into account the new property values and will tax based on the property value from when it was first passed. The levy does not cover all operating expenses of the village parks but offsets maintenance costs of Newman Park, the village pool and the reservoir.
“$13,000 a year doesn’t cover all of that, but it helps,” Mayor David Lockhart said.
Lockhart added the village parks are used “fairly regularly in the summer,” especially the two shelter houses in Newman Park which are available for rental use. The mayor also said the village pool has been growing in popularity, with visitors from other communities traveling to use the Ashley pool.
The reservoir, located right next to Newman Park, is also fairly popular as a fishing spot and general recreation area. In the spring, the village hosts a youth fishing event, which is well attended.
Lockhart said the village chose to pursue a renewal rather than a replacement levy this year to hopefully offset some of the increased expenses residents are facing.
“We did opt to do a renewal not a replacement to hopefully ease the burden somewhat. (The Ashley parks levy) in and of itself will not cause an increase in their tax bill.” Lockhart said. “I think for a village of our size, the facilities we have in the way of parks, the pool, the recreational facilities are a plus. I think they’re needed. I’m hopeful that the village will choose to support that.”
In addition to levy funding, the Wornstaff Library receives state funding each year. This year, Library Director Amee Sword said they will receive around $168,000 from the state. This amount covers salaries and building utilities.
“Through the levy, we pay for programming; we pay for collection; we pay for the maintenance of the building,” Sword said.
Last year, the library offered 161 programs, and Sword anticipates that number will be about the same this year. Sword added the library will offer a variety of children’s programs like story time, homeschool programs and family reading nights. There are plenty of adult programs, too, such as the book club, cooking group, crochet group, and the walking program.
“I think we offer a lot of different things for a lot of different people,” Sword said.
Over the last year, library usage has increased 12% and the Wornstaff library logged 10,000 visitors, though this number reflects multiple visits from individuals.
“Yes we offer programs, yes we offer collection, but we’re also a business center because lots of people come in and fax and print and copy. We can offer limited tech support,” Sword said. “We are the public restroom for the village. And we can be a social club.”
Patrons will also come in seeking information assistance. Sword gave an example of a library visitor who wanted help understanding Issue 1 on the ballot this year. Library workers were able to find non-partisan explanations of the issue to assist the patron.
While Sword said the levy is necessary to continue current library programs, she said that she and other library employees have worked hard to cover costs in other ways. This year, the library has been awarded around $50,000 in grant money from different programs. However, grant money must be used for designated purposes.
“I’m pretty proud of the work that we’ve done to try to save money with our community and improve our building,” Sword said.
Though Sword hopes the levy passes, she also said she understands it may be an additional burden for voters.
“I would hope that (the voters) believe that we give them a good value for the money that they give us, but I understand if they have to make decisions on their budget and what they can invest in,” she said. “I would expect them to do their research and make their own decision.”
If the levy does not pass, the library will have one more chance to put it on the ballot. Without that funding, Sword said the library may have to consider cost saving measures like reducing hours, pausing book acquisition or reducing programs.
Hannah Bryan is a correspondent for AIM Media Midwest. She can be reached at [email protected].
