RESOLUTION REGARDING EXEMPTION OF REIMBURSEMENT BY COUNTIES TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES SERVING RURAL COUNTY RESIDENTS FROM MANDATED PROPERTY TAX LEVY LIMITATIONS

WHEREAS, many counties in Wisconsin do not support a public library, but instead reimburse municipally supported public libraries for serving residents living outside of municipalities supporting a public library (referred to as rural county residents); and

WHEREAS, prior to passage of the State of Wisconsin biennial budget for 2005-2007, reimbursement by counties not supporting a public library to public libraries for serving rural county residents was exempt from mandated property tax limitations or levy restraint programs; and

WHEREAS, reimbursement by counties to public libraries is not part of the operating budget for a county, but is instead a special revenue account; and

WHEREAS, counties do not and can not by law determine the level of services provided by municipally supported libraries to rural county residents, do not and can not control the cost of services provided, and do not and can not control the amount of use made by rural county residents of the services provided, and therefore can not control the level of reimbursement they will be called on to pay in any given budget year; and

WHEREAS, municipalities supporting a public library should not be forced to subsidize service to rural county residents; and

WHEREAS, municipalities are under mandated property tax limitations which have the effect of limiting increases in the cost of public library service, and therefore on reimbursements by counties to public libraries for serving rural county residents; and

WHEREAS, Governor Doyle in his proposed 2007 – 2009 state budget has recommended restoration of the exemption of reimbursement by counties to public libraries serving rural county residents from mandated property tax levy limitations; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of the Winnefox Library System urges the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin to support the Governor’s restoration of the exemption of reimbursement by counties to public libraries serving rural county residents from mandated property tax levy limitations, and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board urges the Wisconsin Library Association, the League of Municipalities and the Wisconsin Counties Association to make restoration of this exemption a priority for their respective Legislative Agendas.

Adopted this 28th day of March, 2007

Winnefox Library System Board of Trustees

Signed, , President

Lewis Rosser