photo by Steve VanGunda

April Pearson sits down with a book during a visit to the Concordia Parish Library Thursday afternoon. The parish tax that funds the libraries is up for renewal in an election next weekend.

Library tax renewal on ballot

By Vershal Hogan (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, July 11, 2008

FERRIDAY — The Concordia Parish Library offers a lot of programs for the public, but whether those programs are to continue hinges on how the public votes next Saturday.

The 10-year, 8.5-mil library tax is up for renewal on the July 19 proposition ballot.

“People have asked me what we would do if the tax failed, and I tell them we could operate for a little while, but we would eventually have to shut down,” Concordia Parish Head Librarian Amanda Taylor said. “We operate pretty conservatively, and will continue to do so.”

Taylor was the featured speaker at the Ferriday Rotary Club’s weekly meeting Thursday.

The millage, in the form of an ad valorem property tax, applies to homes valued at $75,000 or more. The tax does not apply to homes worth less than that because of homestead exemption.

The vote will only be to renew the tax and not to increase it.

The library collects approximately $850,000 a year through the tax, and those collections amount to approximately 93 percent of the library’s funding.

Approximately 3 percent of the library’s funding comes from donations, fees and grants, and approximately 4 percent of the monies comes from state and federal revenues.

The library board is considered a sub-government of the Concordia Parish Police Jury, but has been emancipated and has operated independently of the jury — which means they do not receive any funding from the jury — since 2005.

The library board requested the July 19 election because the library initiative would be the only thing on the ballot.

“People aren’t used to summer ballots, but we thought if we were on there by ourselves, people would evaluate the library for itself,” Taylor said.

Through the course of the last 10 years, the library has offered 1,042,217 pieces of information to the public, has provided 3,2923 programs, which were in turn attended by 142,7673 citizens, and has allowed Internet access for 120,000 citizens.

But those services don’t come cheap.

“It costs us approximately $40,000 a year for internet,” Taylor said.

Both the Ferriday and Vidalia libraries were completely refurbished, the Clayton branch was relocated and a new bookmobile was purchased since the last tax renewal, Taylor said.

“We have brought 30,000 books into the public schools with the bookmobile,” Taylor said.

Future plans for the library include renovating two rooms in the old courthouse, updating the library’s aging automation system and reviewing finances to determine if renovations can be done for the Clayton branch.

The library is also currently building a veteran’s database.

“You hate for all of these (veteran’s) stories to slip away, and the library is the perfect place to keep them,” Taylor said.

Along with traditional bound books, the library offers magazines, DVDs, audio books, newspapers, Internet and wireless access and other forms of media, Taylor said.

“Our goal is for people to enjoy many different kinds of materials,” Taylor said.