GP, Harper Woods Voters Approve Library Millage

Grosse Pointers and Harper Woods residents approved a 0.7 mill increase for the Tuesday, according to initial results shared by each of the city's clerks.

The millage is expected to raise $1.82 million for the library system over an eight year period and that would affect service to users.

The millage passed with 10,974 yes votes throughout the five Grosse Pointes and a portion of Harper Woods. There was some opposition with 3,557 no votes, also throughout the five Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods.

There is a small portion of Harper Woods that is served by the Grosse Pointe Public School district and therefore the library system that also voted on the issue. Results were not immediately available Tuesday night.

Supporters did heavy campaigning for the millage in the last weeks leading up to Tuesday's election, which also included . The group did door-to-door campaigning, mailings, yard signs and even used a phone bank to contact Grosse Pointers.

There was also a heavy presence of supporters and signage at many of the polling locations throughout the Grosse Pointes Tuesday.

The group, headed up by Grosse Pointer Ben Burns, also had several informational meetings to help inform voters about how the money would be used.

Originally, —the Woods and Ewald. The , however, after board members did research and conducted some focus groups.

Library Board President Brian Garves said repeatedly in presentations before the city councils in the Pointes that the library system is hurting similarly to the municipalities because of the repeatedly declined property values.

The new buildings were built when the economy was in great shape and there was no projected shortfall or problem with paying those off, however the debt had become more than the system could handle after the economy tanked.

Several cuts have already been made in regards to staffing and the elimination of lesser used programs or services but without the millage, the library board said significant changes would be unavoidable. Those changes would be noticed by users, they said.

Here are votes cast in each of the Grosse Pointes:

The 0.7 mills means taxpayers will pay 0.70 cents for every $1,000 in taxable value of their home, or $70 for every $100,000 worth of taxable value. The millage increase will begin in 2012 and continue through 2019.