Pay More or Expect and Accept Less
This is the Miami Herald's final word on the battle over the County's Libraries. The libraries as currently configured spend about $50 Million Dollars, The library special taxing districts raise about $30 Million Dollars. Completely funding the library system is estimated to cost $64 Million Dollars. Raising the additional $34 Million Dollars would require raising the millage rate for the libraries $17 dollars per $100,000 of valuation.
The paper rightly reads the mayor and commissioners as not wanting to raise taxes and not wanting to cut services. The public says they want good properly staffed libraries, that are open at convenient hours and not far from home, but I'm not sure they want to pay for that service.
I am an avid reader, I don't use the library as much as I might because I still buy books. Electronic books, the Internet and having a Barnes and Noble on the corner a five minute walk away give me choices others may not have. My library card expired last month and after writing this I will be going to the South Miami Library to renew it.
The median value of a home in Miami Dade County is $269,000 and the tax increase for the libraries will be about $50 for the average household. Today I can afford this. Buying school supplies for the average 8th grader isn't cheap, and they end up spending about $35.00 on summer reading material as well. Most of this is money well spent. There are trade offs but there are already screams from the police, fire, and transportation workers.
There are ways to cut back on the home front for a lot of folks but it's getting harder all the time, even for people that can afford stuff.
The paper rightly reads the mayor and commissioners as not wanting to raise taxes and not wanting to cut services. The public says they want good properly staffed libraries, that are open at convenient hours and not far from home, but I'm not sure they want to pay for that service.
I am an avid reader, I don't use the library as much as I might because I still buy books. Electronic books, the Internet and having a Barnes and Noble on the corner a five minute walk away give me choices others may not have. My library card expired last month and after writing this I will be going to the South Miami Library to renew it.
The median value of a home in Miami Dade County is $269,000 and the tax increase for the libraries will be about $50 for the average household. Today I can afford this. Buying school supplies for the average 8th grader isn't cheap, and they end up spending about $35.00 on summer reading material as well. Most of this is money well spent. There are trade offs but there are already screams from the police, fire, and transportation workers.
There are ways to cut back on the home front for a lot of folks but it's getting harder all the time, even for people that can afford stuff.
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