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Webster Groves library director outlines Proposition L, a tax request on Aug. 4 ballot
Summary
Allison Morris, director of the Webster Groves Public Library, told the Sustainability Commission the library is asking voters to approve Proposition L on Aug. 4 to replace expiring 2009 funding and cover rising costs including e-resources and building repairs.
Allison Morris, director of the Webster Groves Public Library, told the Sustainability Commission that the library is asking voters to approve Proposition L on the Aug. 4 ballot to raise local tax revenue for the library. "My name is Allison Morris. I'm the director of the Webster Groves Public Library," she said, and described the proposal as necessary to sustain services and facilities.
Morris said the library's last tax increase was in 2009 and "half of that drops off in 2029," creating a gap the measure would address. She cited rising operating costs, including a comparison of health insurance that she said has risen "207%" since 2010, and new recurring expenses for digital resources. "In 2010 we had no e-resources whatsoever," she said. "On this year's budget, we are budgeting $97,000 for that." Morris also noted recent capital costs, saying the library completed a full HVAC renovation that was "over $500,000," paid from reserves.
Morris framed the request as an investment in the Webster Groves community and said the library provides services ranging from passport assistance to job-application help and youth programming. She circulated handouts and bookmarks with a QR code linking to a library FAQ and encouraged commission members to review and share the information. "The tax increase only goes towards Webster Groves Public Library," she said, clarifying the measure is separate from the school district.
The presentation did not include a formal commission vote. Morris said she is open to partnership ideas — for example, expanding a "library of things" — and invited follow-up questions. For more details, Morris directed the commission to the library's website FAQ via the distributed QR code.
