Defiance County voters will see a library levy on the November ballot, according to WTVG. Cara Potter, director of the Defiance Public Library Systems, told the station that the 1.65-mill measure would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $47 annually.
Potter said the levy would support the library system for 35 years and bring in close to $2 million each year. She described two parts: a 0.75-mill operating component covering the county and its buildings in Sherwood, Hicksville and Defiance, and a 0.9-mill component for an annex and renovations at the Defiance building. Potter said the operating portion renews a levy that has existed for 24 years.
The annex project traces to 2023, when Potter said she met Anthony Sansalone. He first offered a house to the library, but Potter said that property did not suit an annex or programming space. Sansalone later purchased a lot and donated it, with an agreement requiring construction to begin within five years, or by January 2029, Potter said.
If the levy passes, Potter said, the annex would house children's services now in a basement space, a cramped makerspace, a large community meeting room and adult literacy services. If it fails, she said the renewal levy would return to the ballot next year.