| TOLEDO – This year, Lucas County residents will see a number of funding asks on their ballot. Among them is Issue 8 — a five-year levy to cover the Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s operational costs. If passed, Issue 8 would provide the TLCPL with an estimated $34.2 million each year. At an annual cost of about $105 for every $100,000 in taxable property value, this proposed levy is for $12.42 more than the one it’s intended to replace. The library’s executive director, Jason Kucsma, says that money would allow for the restoration of hours that were cut, in the wake of state funding reductions, and new Sunday hours at more branches. Last year, the Republican supermajority in the statehouse shifted Ohio’s Public Library Fund from a fixed, 1.7 percent commitment of the General Revenue Fund to a line-item allocation in the state’s operating budget. That change, consequently, left library systems with less certainty, as the percentage typically set aside for their operations was replaced with a dollar amount that could fluctuate greatly between fiscal years. At the local level, however, Lucas County voters have, historically, been quite supportive of library levies. Kucsma believes that county-level support, juxtaposed with cuts by Columbus, is indicative of a “disconnect between what’s happening in local communities” and lawmakers. He acknowledges that the library did put an ask before voters in 2024, which may lead some confused as to why they’re doing so again this year, but noted that 2024’s Issue 24 was a bond issue to fund facility improvements — not an operational levy, as this year’s is. Asked about the potential of some opting to vote “no” on Issue 8, not for opposition to the cause — but its cost — amid rising property taxes and larger economic headwinds, Kucsma recognized that “it’s difficult,” adding that “we’d certainly never take it lightly when we asked voters to go into their own budgets and support the public library.” He’s adamant, however, that the library is a good value for taxpayers: “We’re returning about $7 of investment back into the community for every dollar that goes in.” |
Toledo Free Press Voter’s Guide: Issue 8 for the Library
