Please support the Palatine library tax increase

The Palatine Public Library is a vibrant, relevant and vital community asset. About 72 percent of residents carry a library card and the library hosts over 1,300 visitors a day. Over a year, almost 1,400 programs are held at the library, drawing nearly 53,000 attendees.

For our children and grandchildren, the library is a safe and welcoming place for reading, fun and learning.

There is a referendum on the upcoming ballot that raises the tax levy to support the Palatine Public Library. For a median value home in our library district, the estimated increase in annual taxes is $52.

The roof, ventilation and lighting of the Main Library are wearing out after 25 years and must be replaced. The library needs $5.8 million to pay for this work over the next six years. The referendum will fund these crucial repairs, pay for modernization of the library interior spaces, and increase the library's annual expense budget, which despite significant cost cutting is inadequate to provide the desired level of services.

Please learn about the benefits of this referendum and vote yes on April 2.

Scott Praven

Palatine