Thanks to the passage of Proposition L, library patrons can look forward to expanded hours at the Holts Summit Public Library, an extra bookmobile stop and more.
Voters favored the library's first levy increase since 1967 with 2,034 "yes" votes to 1,498 "no" during Tuesday's municipal election. Between 1967 and the present, voters had previously rejected three attempts to increase the levy.
"I'm a bit surprised and relieved but very grateful for voters in Callaway County," Margaret Conroy, director of Daniel Boone Regional Library, said. "We're looking forward to being able to be able to make improvements. I very concerned about how the economy would affect our budget going forward. Now that worry's off our list."
In fact, she said, three other library levy increases on ballots elsewhere in Missouri also passed. She said it's evidence people still value public libraries, even following the temporary closure of many libraries during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. DBRL libraries reopened Wednesday and continued to provide virtual services throughout their closure.
"I want to say thank you very much for our support," she said to voters. "We're very happy that in this current economic situation you value library services. We'll do the best we can to keep up our promise to provide quality library services."
Prop L's passage also brought relief to volunteers who've supported the new Holts Summit library branch with their sweat and money.
"It took a lot of pressure off the plate, actually," said Marty Wilson, a businessman who played a big role in bringing the library to town (bit.ly/38Knnpr). "I think it's great."
Wilson runs Retold Tales, a used book store that's helped the Holts Summit Community Empowerment Foundation pay for the first two years of the library's rent and renovations to the library's building. The foundation plans to continue running the bookstore until December and then sell it to a private owner, Wilson said.
"We were waiting for today to make some hard decisions," he said. "Luckily we just don't have to do any of that."
Seeing the community support "makes me even more impressed with what the library has to offer," Wilson added. He expressed mild disappointment at the relatively low voter turnout - according to the Callaway County Clerk's office, only 7.7 percent of eligible voters inside Holts Summit turned out to vote for or against Prop L, along with only 5.9 percent of rural Holts Summit-area voters.
"Thank you to those that voted yes; and to those that voted no, get educated and find out that (the levy increase is) the price of a book," he said.
The proposition increases the property tax levied by the DBRL (which operates the Holts Summit and Fulton library branches) from 20 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 26 cents. According to DBRL, the median Callaway County family would pay an additional $17.06 on their next property tax bill.
The extra $540,000 the increase is expected to yield annually will allow the library to add another rural stop on the bookmobile route. It'll also pay for an upgraded outreach van to bring books to people who are homebound or live in nursing homes or the Fulton State Hospital.
The increase will help pay for upkeep at the aging Callaway County Public Library building. CCPL will be able to hire two more full-time staffers, upgrade technology, and - if demand is high enough - stay open later.
It'll also help keep the HSPL's doors open.
Until the end of 2020, DBRL doesn't have to pay rent on the Holts Summit Public Library building. But after 2020 draws to a close, they'll have to spend $60,000 per year just to keep the building. With Prop L, DBRL can afford that and will even be able to expand hours at the library from 20 to 55, hiring three new staffers in the process.
Conroy said these improvements - including extended hours at HSPL - will begin in January 2021.