Millage Vote Planned for Bloomfield Hills Library Services

The Bloomfield Hills City Commission has set the stage for residents to vote on whether they'll use the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham this fall.

Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to draft a ballot proposal that seeks  a tax levy of nearly .4 mills on the November ballot. If approved, the money raised would allow city residents to use the Baldwin Library for the next three years.

The city has sought library services since November, when residents voted against renewing the city’s contract with the Bloomfield Township Public Library. Bloomfield Hills' roughly 4,000 residents have been without a library of their own for seven years.

City Manager Jay Cravens told the commission that negotiations have been under way for months and that both sides came to a tentative agreement last week.

"Baldwin wants $268,681 in the first year and increases at the rate of inflation or 5 percent in following years (of the contract)," he said. "There will be an option to renew the agreement as well as a termination clause."

Cravens said the request to voters would probably be for 0.396 mills. The agreement cannot take effect without voter approval.

Officials said negotiators calculated the average household cost for public library operating expenses in 2011-12 at $180.44, then multiplied that by the number of households in the city, according to the 2010 census (1,489).

Cravens said he would start drafting a formal contract with Baldwin and ballot language right away.

City Attorney William Hampton warned that time was an issue and that any ballot language should be approved in July in order to be ready by August to appear on November's ballot.

Treasurer Lisa Dolan reminded the commission that even if the initiative passed in November, funds would not be collected until July 2012.

Resident Marilyn Mast asked whether requesting a millage was the only way for Bloomfield Hills to gain access to a library. Mayor Michael Zambricki said that it was the only way to go after two previous ballot proposals failed.

"Because two ballot initiatives were defeated, for the city to go ahead and approve the expense would not go over well," he explained.

Mast said she would support a millage request. Resident Judith Hoppin said she would, too.

"I do support a library issue," Hoppin said. "It's a shame a city like this doesn't have a library. The cost per household would be negligible, like $45 or $50 a year on a $300,000 house."