Midpoint Library presents 2027 tax budget; council adopts budget with one abstention

Midpoint Library representatives presented the library’s annual report and the proposed 2027 tax budget during a public hearing convened by Middletown City Council on June 16.

Travis Boutz, speaking for the library, reported service metrics for 2025 and recent trends: "we circulated just under 2.2 million items to... just under 200,000 systemwide card holders," he said, and noted circulation was up about 3% year‑over‑year while branch visitor counts increased roughly 20%. Boutz told council the Middletown branch recorded just over 165,000 visitors last year—about 13,700 per month—and listed regular usage statistics including roughly 1,200 monthly computer users and about 4,700 monthly Wi‑Fi users. He also said the system ran just under 3,000 programs in 2025 with more than 100,000 attendees and provided community services such as summer lunches for more than 600 children and volunteer tax‑assistance that returned $626,617 in refunds to 467 residents.

City staff explained that, because the City of Middletown is the taxing authority for the Midpoint Library, the council’s action was a review step before sending the adopted tax budget to the Butler County Auditor. The library’s packet shows estimated 2027 general fund revenues of $12,616,500 and estimated expenditures of $12,520,000. After the presentation and no public testimony for or against, council voted to receive, file and adopt the 2027 tax budget; the vote recorded three yes votes and one abstention by Mrs. Carter.