Mount Pleasant council votes to reject library property tax increase

The Mount Pleasant City Council voted Aug. 26 to disapprove a proposed property tax increase that would have raised revenue for the Mount Pleasant City Library.

Council member Kate, who introduced the motion to reject the tax increase, said she supports the library but opposed placing the additional burden primarily on Mount Pleasant residents. “I just wanna make clear. I like the library. I support the library. I’m glad we have the library,” Kate said during the meeting, while stressing that she wanted the city to pursue other funding solutions.

Council members discussed alternatives including asking the full service district area to contribute and seeking other funding sources instead of relying mainly on Mount Pleasant property taxes. One council member described raising library card rates as only a “band aid” and urged exploring service-district–wide options. Council members noted the library receives roughly $140,000 from property taxes and said they want to avoid shifting most of that burden to city residents.

The motion to disapprove the property tax increase was made by Kate and seconded by Lynn; the council approved the motion by roll call vote (tally: yes 4, no 1). Council members asked staff to pursue other funding options and to meet with the library and regional partners to develop proposals the city could support.

The council did not adopt any alternative funding plan at the meeting; members asked staff and interested councilors to follow up with potential partners and return with proposals for future meetings.

What’s next: Council members said they will research alternatives, meet with library representatives and other jurisdictions in the service district, and report back to the council with options for funding that do not rely solely on a Mount Pleasant property tax increase.