Ohio library levies do well at the polls

Ohioans continue to love their libraries and are willing to support them on Election Day.

Voters approved all but one of 25 library ballot issues seeking new or renewal support Tuesday, including 15 renewal levies, three renewals that cost voters more, four replacement levies and two new levies.

The Stark County Library District in Canton was the sole outlier to success in Ohio, with 52 percent of voters rejecting a new 2.2-mill levy.

Locally, the Delaware County District Library, Fairfield County District Library, Pickerington Public Library and Marysville Public Library each passed issues by overwhelming margins.

Marysville voters approved a five-year, 1.5-mill replacement levy with 68 percent of the vote, 4 percentage points more than in Delaware. Union County, where Marysville is located, and Delaware County are the two fastest-growing counties in the state.

Nieca Nowels, Marysville’s The current Powell branch of the Delaware County District Library is too small to accommodate the growing population. But after Tuesday’s levy approval, the Delaware system will begin scouting sites for a second Powell branch.

library director, thinks the public sees wide-ranging value in library offerings.

“We have been doing more programming and seeing more people using our libraries,” Nowels said of double-digit increases in the number of visitors. “We’ve begun to offer some toddler gyms, a lot of DIY, make-your-own stuff at kids’ and adult levels.”

That levy will cost homeowners $52 a year per $100,000 of property value, an increase of $6 due to property value changes.

Combined with traditional book, music and movie loans, “public libraries are something that speak to everyone,” Nowels said.

Both Pickerington and Fairfield County District

libraries easily passed their renewal levies, each costing homeowners $39 annually per $100,000 valuation.

The Pickerington issue passed by 58 percent; the county system by 59 percent.

In Delaware County, plans are now fully underway to build a second library for fastgrowing Powell, said George Needham, library director.

A 64 percent passage for a 1-mill renewal levy costing homeowners about $38 a year per $100,000 of valuation will allow the system to pay off the Orange branch in Lewis Center, and within two years build a new Powell branch. The current 5,000-square-foot Powell branch is insufficient for the growing community, he said.

“The location is still to be determined,” said Nicole Fowles, library spokeswoman.

The Ohio Library Council has seen a string of strong showings for libraries in recent years.

“The overall voter approval rating shows that Ohioans continue to express their support for public libraries at the polls,” Executive Director Doug Evans said in a written statement.

The support comes as state funding for libraries has dropped by $113 million since 2001. Last fiscal year, $378.5 million was divided among all public libraries.