Library Millage FAQs

The Mayor’s Office proposed a resolution this week that would move ALL of the Library’s funds into the City-Parish General Fund and redistribute the dedicated Library tax approved by the voters. This would include all future funding for the next 10 years and all dedicated funds the voters previously approved for library operations and capital projects. The Mayor’s Office would then use the Library’s millage not only on Library operations but also redirect it to any other departments and/or projects within City-Parish. We don’t know how much money would be given to the Library and the amount could change from year to year and from administration to administration

NO! What was once a dedicated tax for the Library would now go into the City-Parish General Fund for the next 10 years.

We don’t know. The Mayor’s Office hasn’t released a detailed plan of how much money would go to us and other departments. We do know that if we don’t receive our full amount of tax dollars we will have to make cuts. What the Mayor’s Office is calling a “surplus” is actually our Fund Balance that includes next year’s operating budget and savings for Capital Improvements that are already in progress. Not only do we have a budget for this year and next, we have a projected budget for the next ten years. All of that would have to be changed and cuts could include the purchase of books and eBooks and a reduction in the hours and days that we are open. We would also have to reduce vital programs for our community, such as Early Literacy programming, the Career Center, Small Business Services, and Summer Reading programming. Bookmobile service throughout the community would also be impacted by cuts.

The Library is proposing a 10-year dedicated property tax renewal at 10.5 mills, including factoring in rollbacks every four years. This is a lower rate than we have asked for in the last 30 years. We are confident that, using the reduced rate of 10.5 mills, we can maintain library operations and complete anticipated capital improvements.

The Library has operated on a Pay-As-You-Go plan since the passage of the first dedicated tax millage in 1986. The Library does not borrow or bond. Therefore we have to save our money over time to pay for things like new branches and renovations to older branches. The Fund Balance contains our entire operating budget for the next year, savings for future capital projects and major repairs, and insurance deductibles for major catastrophic events like hurricanes or floods. Here is how we use our Fund Balance.

The Library’s proposal will be discussed and voted on at the Metro Council meeting on Wednesday, February 12. If approved, it will then go before the voters on October 11, 2025.
The Mayor’s proposal will be introduced at the Metro Council meeting on Wednesday, February 12. The Council will then discuss and vote on it at a meeting in March. If it is approved at that time, it will go before the voters on October 11, 2025.

comms@brla.gov – EBR Mayor-President’s email address
metrocouncil@brla.gov – Metro Council email address
https://www.brla.gov/561/ – Metropolitan-Council homepage for the Metro Council
https://www.brla.gov/councilcomment – Public Comment form
dmcdavid@cityofzachary.org – Zachary Mayor’s email address
wade.evans@central-la.gov – Central Mayor’s email address
dwaites@cityofbakerla.com – Baker Mayor’s email address
dustin.yates@stgeorgela.gov – City of St.George Mayor’s email address