First of all, thank you to our patrons who answered our calls for advocacy and reached out to Members of the Ohio House of Representatives.
You no longer need to contact Ohio House members.
As of Wednesday, April 9, the House has taken a final vote on the budget, (60-39) which still eliminates the Public Library Fund as it currently stands and moves public library funding to a yearly appropriation. An appropriation is a much more vulnerable funding mechanism that can be easily eliminated in a single budget—unlike the Public Library Fund, which is written into Ohio law.
This is a complex matter and we get how confusing it can be. What's important is that the Public Library Fund has been working for us for 40 years to make Ohio's public libraries the best in the country.
As the budget now moves to the Ohio Senate, we at the Library will continue advocating for the Public Library Fund to maintain its current standing in law and for the Governor's proposal of 1.75% of Ohio's General Revenue Fund to be restored.
We will let you know the best way for you to advocate for your tax dollars to come back from Columbus and to our Library when the time comes. In the meantime, keep using our services. We hope to see you soon!