Plainfield Public Library Referenda Fails

With all districts in Will and Kendall County reporting, the Plainfield Library District referenda has failed.

So, what does this mean for the library? Director Julie Milavec has said that a 20 percent cut to services and programs will be needed to keep the existing building functional in the long term.

"With the failure of the building bond and limiting rate referenda, the Library Board of Trustees will determine their course of action at the next regular meeting of the Library Board of Trustees on Wednesday, March 16, 6:30 p.m. in the Library’s Small Meeting Room," Milavec said in a release from the library.

During National Library Week in April, four open houses will provide residents with an opportunity to express their opinions and priorities for the library's next steps, Milavec said.

• Monday, April 11, 2 to 4 p.m.
  
• Wednesday, April 13, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 15, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m. to Noon

"Drop in to meet the staff, learn about how we can help you and celebrate the wealth of opportunity you can find at your library," Milavec said.

With all precincts reporting, the votes are as follows:

Bonds

No - 9,089

Yes - 7,232

Limiting rate

No - 11,241

Yes - 4,907

For results in other races across Illinois, click here.

The original referenda put to voters is as follows:

Under the proposed plan, the building, its contents and the purchase of additional property will be funded by $39 million in building bonds with a 20 year maturity. The operations will be funded by an increase to the library’s limiting tax rate of 0.0390, or just under four cents per $100 of home value, to a total rate of 0.2442, according to the library. The estimated total cost to the average home in Plainfield is $14.91 per month, just under $180 per year for a $300,000 home. The cost increase is approximately $12 per month for the bond and $3 per month for the operations.

The building bond portion of the increase will be paid off in 20 years and automatically be removed from taxpayer’s bills. The limiting tax rate increase is ongoing for the operation of the library, subject to the tax cap. The bond repayment tax rate generally decreases over time as new property is annexed to the district or existing property is developed, spreading the fixed payment amount over a larger tax base, according to the library. The bond rate on the existing library was 0.1657 in its first year and dropped to 0.0094 by the final year.