2012 Voter Guide: Henderson Question (Libraries)

Henderson Libraries is proposing a 2-cent tax rate increase on the Nov. 6 ballot to help counteract a 30 percent budget decrease.

The rate increase - Question 1 on the ballot - would allow Henderson District Public Libraries to keep all facilities open and continue offering community services.

"I think people are realizing it's not a joke that we will be closing down libraries," said Tom Fay, executive director of the library district. "We don't have the resources to keep them open."

If the initiative doesn't pass, Fay said, Lydia Malcolm Library, 2960 Sunridge Heights Parkway, and the Galleria Library inside the Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road, will be closed. The library inside the Heritage Park Senior Facility, 300 S. Racetrack Road, could be on the chopping block as well.

According to Fay, Henderson Libraries receives 5.75 cents per $100 in assessed property value, which is lower than other Clark County library districts. North Las Vegas receives 6.32 cents, Boulder City receives 8.55 cents and Las Vegas-Clark County receives 9.42 cents per $100 in assessed property value.

In revenue dollars, Henderson receives an average of $24.38 per person, which is below both the national average of $32.83 and the state average of $29.28.

Fay said the tax-increase proposal would bring the district up to 7.75 cents and would be the first increase since 1991. It would amount to about an additional $7 per year on a house that was valued at $100,000.

Victor Joecks, the communications director for the Nevada Public Research Institute, is opposed to the tax-rate increase.

"This is not their first tax-rate increase," Joecks said. "They haven't had a voter-approved levy since '91."

Joecks said other tax increases the library district has include the total direct tax rate.

This new tax rate increase, Joecks said, would extend the district's budget, which has increased by 31 percent, instead of cutting back.

"They are spending more money now than they did 15 years ago," Joecks said. "The question isn't about maintaining. You're essentially giving them a blank check."

Before the recession, Fay said, about 65 percent of Henderson Libraries' revenue came from assessed property value, with the rest of the budget from consolidated taxes. That has since increased to about 75 percent since the economic downturn.

Henderson Libraries has lost more than $2.5 million in the past few years. Its annual budget is $6.7 million.

The district was forced to close all six branches on Mondays in October to contend with budget shortfalls, a move expected to save $50,000 to $75,000 a year.

Other attempts to fill the gap have included closing the libraries on Sundays, which occurred in 2008, reducing library hours and reducing employees' pay by 10 percent in 2010. The number of library employees has fallen from 135 to 95.

Like every family, Joecks said, the library needs to do some budget adjustment by attending to "inefficiencies."

"There are about 80 people that visit the Galleria branch a day," Joecks said, citing a Las Vegas Review-Journal article. "That amounts to about 12 an hour. Why is this branch still open and why are they seeking to preserve it? Families and businesses have made hard decisions on what to cut and this doesn't even seem that hard."

If the proposal passes, the district is expected to spend about $300,000 of its reserves to maintain the libraries until the increase goes into effect. It would spend about $100,000 if the measure fails, also resulting in the two branches being closed and staff being laid off.

Fay said this is an issue that affects all residents.

"It comes down to individual values," Fay said. "Do they think the community is better with libraries or without?"

According to the district, 143,926 people have Henderson library cards. In 2011, 1,812,475 items were checked out and about 41,000 people attended free programs offered at a branch.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.