Opinion: Freedom Township Supports The Library!
On the August 5th ballot, Freedom voters addressed a ballot measure that asked whether Freedom Township should withdraw from the library district and stop supporting it with its property taxes. That measure failed. Speaking as the director of the Manchester District Library: Thank you for supporting the library, Freedom voters!
There were 172 votes in favor of withdrawing from the library district and 264 votes to remain in the district. Voter turnout rate was high. Typically, August elections focus on mostly primary and local issues, there is no TV advertising, and fewer citizens cast their votes than in the fall elections. In Freedom, the turnout in August elections has often been in the mid 20% range. For a small township, in a summer primary, the 38% that came out to vote tells us that we have many supporters in Freedom who care deeply about the library and its continued service to Manchester Village and Manchester, Freedom, and Bridgewater Townships.
Thank you to all of you who came out to the polls and supported the library. We at the library are gratified and relieved that our patrons think highly enough of our services to vote to continue to contribute their hard-earned tax dollars. We have been thankful for the support, especially, of Mary Herschelman; Bob and Lilly Miller; Sarah, John & Beth Heuser; Fred and Sarah Munson; Library Trustees Jan Neukom and Joan Paskewitz; Tom Tuer; Rosemary Whelan, and many, many others.
But it's not over yet! On November 4, the entire library district (Manchester Village and Manchester Township, Freedom Township, and Bridgewater Township) must vote to re-authorize the millage that has supported the library for the last ten years. Without the millage the library will close.
And as library patron Linda Stevens asked: "What's a town without a library???"
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