Libertarian candidate David Holmer has been speaking out against the upcoming Manistee County Library Millage Renewal. 

The millage expects to raise about $1.1 million in the first renewal year, and will be on the primary election ballot, Tuesday, August 7^th. Holmer will also be on the ballot for both Libertarian County Delegate and Manistee County Commissioner of District 7.

Holmer explained that the library millage is for operational and building maintenance costs, which came in under budget last year despite wasteful spending. He cited the March 27, 2018 Manistee Library Board Meeting, where David Richards from Vanderwal, Spratto & Richards gave the financial report, “Payment in Lieu of Taxes came in more than budgeted.”

“Instead of using $5,000 to fix the rear entrance this past year, the library paid $10,000 in employee hours to delete $50,000 worth of books from their collection. Thirty women volunteers at the Friends of the Library spent 200 hours, organizing and selling these books for a dollar a piece to raise the $5,000 needed to fix the entrance.:

Meanwhile, the library director needed $10,000 to replace all the missing books. “In the end, it cost our community about $80,000, he figures.

“Not only does this millage raise tax limitations, it is unneeded and is an increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution,” Holmer stated.

According to the library’s pamphlet promoting the millage, this is a renewal of a 2012 tax. The renewal lasts for six years, 2018 through 2023 inclusive. The tax will cost a homeowner $50 per year on a home with a market value of $100,000.

“We have residents in our community that have to skip insulin doses because they cannot afford a fifteen dollar co-pay,” said Holmer.