2022 millage

Cass District Library consists of five branch locations including the Main, Local History, Edwardsburg, Howard, and Mason Union branches and currently serves 38,000 county residents in Calvin, Howard, Jefferson, LaGrange, Mason, Milton, Newberg, Ontwa, Penn, Pokagon, Porter, and Volinia townships.

In 1993, residents in the district approved an operating millage in perpetuity of 0.75 mills. This rate has been reduced to 0.6386 due to Headlee Rollbacks. This reduction now equates to approximately $213,000 annually in lost revenues and further reductions will continue in the coming years.

In August 2022, Cass District Library will be seeking a Headlee override to restore the original millage rate. If approved, the millage would continue to fund the library in perpetuity. New revenues would be collected via the winter tax rolls and would generate approximately $213,000 in additional revenues the first year. The library has not sought any increases in revenues since 1993.

This replenished funding is critical as the current cost of deferred capital maintenance for the district is $806,446, according to a completed Facilities Master Plan. The library’s replenished funding will also help to bolster additional operating expenses including the purchase of new items for the collections, programming costs, and critical investments in updated technology, ensuring that all patrons have free access to an ever- growing roster of high-quality resources, in updated, inspiring, and welcoming facilities.