On August 3, 2021, residents of Westland have the option of voting to extend the millage which funds the operation of the William P. Faust Public Library, located at 6123 Central City Parkway. The city's last millage, approved in 2012, provided for funding of all library operating costs, services and programs, and expires in July 2022. Westland voters will be asked to approve a 10-year millage renewal at a new reduced rate of 0.85 mills, rather than the current rate of 0.975 mills, which means there will be a lower tax rate for taxpayers on this millage.

A millage rate is the rate at which property taxes are levied. A mill is 1/1000 of a dollar. The taxable value of a property is multiplied by the amount of mills levied. For a home valued at $150,000, the homeowner will pay only $63 a year. For a home valued at $90,000, the homeowner will pay only $38.25 a year. The new millage is expected to generate approximately $1.4 million the first year it is levied.

Library Director Jennifer Roth says that even at the reduced rate, the library will be able to continue to provide a full range of services and maintain operations. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the library has worked to meet the community's needs by expanding their electronic material collection and providing more access to streaming movies, music and books. The library has also offered online library card sign-ups, book bundles, virtual storytimes and take-home crafts, and safe-distanced access to computers and physical materials. "The millage is for the operating fund, for all of the programs that we do and the services we offer to continue," she says. "These things take time, they take money and staffing. This is just funding to continue to evolve and continue to do what we've been doing all along."

If the millage is not approved by the voters, however, operating expenses for the library will go unsupported and a reduction of all services and programs will ensue. "It would require a lot of scaling back in programs, hours, and staff," says Roth. "You would see the impact, it would be drastic. Over half of our funding comes from the millage." On average, the William P. Faust Public Library receives 225,000 in-person visits each yearand 75,000 virtual visits through its website.

Roth says just two weeks ago, the library fully opened to the public and programs and activities are beginning to return. "For us in Westland, I want the library to be more of a community center, a gathering place, a place that can address a lot of different needs for a lot of different people," she says. "The thing about the library is it's not one size fits all. I think it's important as a place that people can come to and have a lot of options, a lot of different services available for them. Their tax dollars pay for this; this is something they pay for so you want to be helpful and useful to everybody."

Approval of the LIbrary Millage in Westland will help to fund children's programs at the William P. Faust Public Library

Election Day is August 3 and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots can be requested form the Westland City Clerk's Office. July 30 is the last day to request a ballot by mail. To find out more about the millage vote, go to http://www.westlandlibrary.org and click on the Millage Info link. Millage supporters have established an informational Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/loveyourlibrarywestland. To contact the Westland City Clerk, go to http://www.cityofwestland.com. You can also call the office at 734-467-3185 or visit Westland City Hall at 36300 Warren Road.