Why a Library Millage
Firstly, Bedford Township is a General Law Township. This means that the Township Board cannot impose any additional tax dollars on the property owners without a vote of the people. In a Charter Township the Township Board has the authority within their Charter to impose additional millage (up to 5 mills) on their property owners just by the seven (7) Board Members voting to add the determined millage.
In Bedford Township no additional township millage proposals can be placed on any ballot without the Township Board determining the ballot wording and voting at a public meeting to place it on the ballot of a particular upcoming election. If there is additional school millage requested by the school district that ballot wording and dollar amount would be approved by the School Board. School millage is not governed by the Township Board.
Since it is the voters in Bedford Township who determine if they want to pay extra tax dollars for specific services, then I believe the Township Board should give the public the ability to make that decision through the ballot proposal process. It is then determined by a majority vote of the electors if the additional tax dollars should be collected or not.
The question has also been asked why would there be a local millage when we already pay a County Library millage. The County millage is used for things such as employees, books, and other materials associated with the distribution of library materials. Each local branch’s taxpayers must maintain their own facility when they choose to have a local branch within their township. Bedford Township taxpayers must maintain the building/facility and operation of the facility. Items such as utilities, maintenance, improvements, furnishings, grounds, etc. are paid for by the taxpayers of the local branch, whether that money comes from the General Fund or extra voted millage. The taxes collected from a local millage then would be used to pay for the operation of the facility, but not the employees or books.
The Bedford Township Board voted to place the proposal on the August Primary Ballot to allow the people to make the choice. The electors in Bedford Township that vote in the August Primary will determine the outcome of the library millage.