You have questions. we have answers.
FAQs
We know many people have questions about library millage elections and property taxes. We can help.
A millage, simply put, is a type of property tax rate approved by voters. It’s calculated by “mills” or tenths of a penny. You can find a more in-depth explanation of Louisiana property tax basics here.
Since the loss of our third millage in 2018, LPL currently operates on revenue from two millages: one approved by voters in the fall of 2021 will expire in 2032; the other, approved by voters in 2016, will expire in 2026.
A fund balance is a positive difference between assets and liabilities on a governmental entity’s financial balance sheet. This is a good thing! It means the library is a great steward of taxpayer dollars. A positive fund balance means there will be money in the budget for things like future construction projects, or unexpected expenses such as hurricane damage, without a loss to patron services.
We have a handy calculator to help you work out how much your family’s annual library cost will be! Click HERE to use our tool and find out more.
As we’ve already seen in 2018, every loss of revenue means a loss of services for our community. In 2022 the library was forced to close all branches parishwide on Sundays in an effort to save money, as the loss of tax revenue from the millage failure caused the library budget to run at a deficit. Failure of future millages will mean cutbacks to programming, or even the closure of branches.
As a governmental entity, the library cannot advocate for its own millage elections – only citizens can campaign for library ballot proposals. This is our purpose! LLL PAC is strictly nonpartisan, and focused solely on supporting a strong library system for our community.