Huntley library voters approve $12 million tax hike

Huntley Area Library District voters in Kane and McHenry counties Tuesday approved a plan to borrow $12 million to double the size of the existing facility.

With all 28 precincts reporting, unofficial results show voters supported the tax increase by a margin of nearly 2-to-1. Initial counts showed 2,163 votes in favor of the expansion to 1,072 against.

The owner of a $300,000 house in the district will pay about $75 more a year in property taxes to the library. A full property tax bill on that home would be more than $300 annually to the district.

Library officials sought the tax hike in order to add programming for a growing community. The building plan calls for the addition of roughly 17,000-square feet. Built in 1999, the current building has only room enough in the children's area for 12 people at a time. The library has used three trailers to house various programs the past eight years, as well.