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Board approves resolution to place 1.5-mill Pickerington Public Library levy on ballot
Summary
The Pickerington Local School District board voted to submit a continuing 1.5-mill property-tax levy for the Pickerington Public Library; Library Director Mr. Howard described facility needs, usage growth and a plan for a larger Sycamore-area branch.
The Pickerington Local School District Board of Education voted Monday to submit a continuing 1.5-mill property-tax levy for the Pickerington Public Library, approving a resolution that allows the library board to proceed with an election request.
"The library is a separate organization under Ohio law," said Mr. Howard, the library director, emphasizing that levy proceeds would remain with the library and could not be used by the school district. He outlined the library’s growth, telling the board that "In 2025 alone, more than 206,000 people came through the doors of the 2 Pickerington Library locations."
Howard said the library is in the design phase for a new Sycamore-area branch to replace a 7,000-square-foot facility and that construction is planned for 2027 with an opening in 2028. He said a proposed facility in Sycamore Plaza would be roughly 26,000–28,000 square feet, not the 40,000 square feet identified in the master plan, which the library found unaffordable given construction costs.
The director described how the library’s long-range planning and community feedback led to the levy request, and provided usage and value metrics, including digital circulation and outreach: "Digital services also continue to experience significant growth with nearly 148,000 digital items checked out last year," he said, and argued the levy would fund services, staffing, collections and long-term sustainability.
Board President Kathy Olshevsky reiterated the legal role of the school board as the taxing authority that must approve the request on behalf of the library. The board approved the resolution on roll call; members voting were recorded in the motion’s roll call sequence and the chair announced the motion passed.
The resolution asks voters to approve the continuing 1.5-mill levy to provide operating and building support for library services; the board did not set the election date in the meeting discussion recorded here. Library officials described options for borrowing against state funding (PLF) or using a bond in coordination with the school district as possible financing mechanisms for construction.
The board’s approval authorizes formal submission of the levy request; the library will proceed with next steps in its election planning and public outreach.
