Kent District Library to Ask Voters for Millage Renewal at Lower Rate

Kent District Library to Ask Voters for Millage Renewal at Lower Rate

On November 7, 2023, residents in the Kent District Library service area will vote on a reduced operating millage.

  • If residents vote “yes” on the reduced operating millage, the existing millage will be renewed at a rate that is reduced by 10.9%.
  • If residents vote “no” on the reduced operating millage, the existing millage will be placed on a ballot for a later election.

Kent District Library is proposing a 10.9% operating millage reduction

KDL serves 27 municipalities through a network of 20 branches. Residents in those municipalities pay a portion of their property taxes to support KDL, which makes them eligible for a library card that gives them access to our physical and digital collections. Each KDL branch functions as a community library that serves the unique needs of its community while simultaneously enjoying the economies of scale that come from being part of a larger district library, which has greater buying power.

The proposed Kent District Library operating millage of 1.1 mills is a 10.9% reduction from the current millage rate and is estimated to:

  • Save residents $3.1 million dollars annually.
  • Save residents a total of $46.5 million over the 15-year span of the millage.

Kent District Library is able to lower its millage because we are part of a thriving and growing community where new taxable real estate has produced more revenue. This enables us to take the unprecedented step of reducing the millage, which is a tax reduction for property owners.

The reduced millage will allow KDL to continue offering our current slate of programs and services – and to add new materials, programs, events and services as we have always done.

Download the Millage Flier (PDF, 1.5MB)

KDL Services At-A-Glance, as of January 1, 2023

  • 20 branches serving 27 municipalities with 128,241 active cardholders (138,497 as of June 30, 2023).
  • 2:1 payback for taxpayers
    • $85.2 million total value of items checked out, compared to 2022 millage revenue of $24.8 million
    • Total circulation was 7,115,140, which is a 6% increase over the previous year
  • Access to:
    • 700,000 items in the physical collection
    • 15.6 million digital items
    • More than 5,600 informational and educational programs and outreach events, in-person, online and on-demand
  • Additional services:
    • Talking Book & Braille Center, which provides resources and services for people who are blind and physically disabled.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Back to Top