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Board places $2.02 million library levy renewal on November ballot
Summary
Willoughby‑Eastlake board approved a resolution to place a $2.02‑million library levy renewal on the November ballot. Library leaders described program growth and said the levy funds about 42% of the library’s general fund.
The Willoughby‑Eastlake City Schools Board of Education on May 12 approved a resolution allowing the Willoughby‑area public library to place a $2.02‑million renewal levy on the November ballot. The motion was approved 5–0.
Eric Linderman, director of the Willoughby public library, told the board the renewal is not new millage but a renewal of an existing levy originally passed in February 2018. "It's a $2.02 mil renewal levy. It was originally passed in 02/2018, and it's just a renewal levy. No new millage," Linderman said. He said the levy constitutes "about 42% of our general fund" along with another 1‑mill levy and state public library fund receipts.
Linderman highlighted recent increases in library usage and programming: system‑wide children's program attendance rose to 18,478 in the 2023–24 reporting year (up 31% year‑over‑year); summer‑reading participants numbered 2,256 (up 31%); and teen program attendance was 2,968 (up 67%). He said the library has shifted emphasis from building collections to programming, naming children's literacy and teen services as priorities.
The board approved the library's request to place the renewal on the ballot as part of the district's agenda. Library leaders said they will continue outreach to explain the levy to voters ahead of the November election.
