History

• The original levy replaced a 25% funding cut to the Public Library Fund by the State of Ohio in 2008. Libraries across Ohio scrambled to pass local levies to continue operating. 

• This is a renewal of the .5 mil levy passed by voters in 2009 and renewed in 2013 and 2018.  

• The levy has passed with over 70% approval rating each time.

Cost

• A home valued at $100,000 would cost approximately $14 per year or $1.17 per month.
• See what the library levy currently costs you on the Mercer County Auditor’s Website.
• The renewal levy is projected to raise $317,000 per year.
• The projected annual budget for the District Library System in 2023 was $1.6 million.

Information

• The Mercer Co District Library serves the Celina, Marion Local, and St. Henry school districts within Mercer County. It also includes Union Township, including Mendon Village, as well as small portions of the Minster and New Bremen school districts within Mercer County.
• The service population of the library district is roughly 29,134 or about 67.2 % of Mercer County. 
• The libraries of Coldwater, Ft. Recovery, and Rockford are all independent libraries and are governed by their own boards. Coldwater also has a levy this year. 
• The district library is administered by a seven-member Board of Library Trustees – four appointed by the Mercer County Commissioners and three appointed by the Common Pleas Judge.  The library board is made up of citizens representing the library district.

More about the library here.