Hancock Library millage passes
64% said yes
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HANCOCK -- The recently formed Hancock Area District Library will be funded thru 2031 as its millage proposal passed Tuesday, with around 64% of voters casting "yes" ballots. The millage called for .7 mills to be levied in the City of Hancock, Hancock Township, Quincy Township and Franklin Township.
Hancock Library Board Vice President Ruth Gill spoke at Wednesday's Hancock City Council meeting after the millage passed. She thanked councilors who helped organize the new district library, including former councilor Whitney Warstler.
"The employees and trustees of the Hancock Area District Library are thrilled that we can continue to serve our community," Gill said. "We look forward to welcoming many more members of the public to come and explore the resources and programs that we offer."
The Hancock Library faced hurdles before finally receiving guaranteed funding. Earlier this year, the Hancock Board of Education voted to only fund $30,000 worth of the library's requested budget. This was then supplemented by donations from the Hancock Schools Foundation and Hancock City Council.
The library had funding thru March 2027, but needed to act quickly before the August millage deadline. Two city councilors, Warstler and Dean Woodbeck, two school board members, Taylor Paul and Emilie Lancour, as well as library advocate Carolyn Dekker were appointed to a planning committee. They were tasked with drafting a millage and delivered it to the county clerk's office before the deadline.
Library Board President Carolyn Dekker said this was a win for literacy. "This was so consequential, because it was an existential question for the library -- whether we should stay as a district library," she said. "I'm just so grateful to the library supporters. The library won in every single ward and every single precinct."
After the passage, Dekker said it is time to get to work on expanding services to the surrounding townships outside of Hancock. "We're definitely cooking up a few things. We're identifying districts that are less served," she said. "I do think we're seeing some people who are more interested in the space now, because the millage push has really raised the profile of the library for people in the community."
The Hancock Area District Library will operate on an annual budget of around $180,000, almost twice its budget last year. It is located within Hancock High School, but exists as its own entity open to the public.