Huntley library weighs options after failed tax hike

Suburban voters were in no mood to open their wallets last week, rejecting a number of ballot measures asking for higher taxes.

The Huntley Area Public Library District was a victim of that trend. The library's proposed tax increase, which would have tripled the size of the library, failed by about a 60-to-40 margin.

I had an opportunity to speak with library Director Virginia Maravilla a day after the election. While she was disappointed, she wasn't surprised, chalking up the results to economic uncertainty.

I was curious if the library was also a victim of bad feelings lingering from Huntley Unit District 158's mishandled 2004 referendum.

Maravilla said while the library felt some of that backlash the last time it tried to raise taxes, she heard few of those concerns this time.

The library seems to be running out of options. If you're a resident of the library district, you probably noticed the library's aggressive effort to inform voters about the proposed increase.

The library hosted question-and-answer sessions, visited local community groups and launched a Web site to promote the tax increase.

Unlike local school districts during recent referendum campaigns, the library didn't resort to scare tactics to encourage residents to pass the tax hike. Maravilla said this was deliberate.

"We didn't want people to feel like we were threatening everything," she said. "We don't know what else to do."

Maravilla is meeting with the library board to determine how to move forward with more users and without more money to serve them.

One option is returning to voters to ask for a tax increase again, a common strategy for local taxing bodies. Maravilla said the district will have to consider that option "at some point."

"The need hasn't gone away," she said.

The library director said despite the defeat, she was encouraged that this request at least garnered a higher percentage of votes than the library's last proposed increase.

I asked if it would make sense to reduce the request, for example, by proposing to double the library's size instead of tripling it.

"I don't know that it would be worth doing to ask for less," Maravilla said.

I hope a smaller tax increase is at least on the table - perhaps after the economy regains its footing - because after all, something is better than nothing.

Now on to 2009:

Robert Lee, an East Dundee resident and member of District 300's Community Finance Committee, announced this week he plans to run for a seat on the District 300 school board.

Lee says if elected, he hopes to reduce spending and tighten the district's internal controls - basically, good business practices - using his experience as a member of the Community Finance Committee.

Voters will pick three board members in the spring.