The following letter, dated May 29, was sent to the Antwerp Township Board in response to Antwerp Township Supervisor Dan Ruzick’s request for mediation with the Van Buren District Library Board.
Antwerp Township Board of Trustees:
At its May 19 meeting at the Bangor Branch Library, the (Van Buren District) Library Board took up your request for mediation. The Board voted unanimously to decline the request, including its reasoning within the motion itself, which reads:
Motion to deny Antwerp Twp. Supervisor Dan Ruzick’s request for mediation. The Library Board’s historical practice is that Branch Library Agreements must be uniform across all of its municipal branches. Mediation would move the library away from this historical practice and undermine the long-term stability of the Library District.
Best,
Dan Hutchins
Executive Director
On behalf of the Van Buren District Library Board Of Trustees
On June 3, Antwerp Township Supervisor Ruzick responded to the Van Buren District Library Board with the following letter. It reads:
Members of the Van Buren County District Library Board,
“I must express my concern that the Board’s May 29, 2026, response fails to acknowledge a critical fact that fundamentally changes the circumstances before us. Antwerp Township lawfully provided notice terminating the 1997 Branch Library Agreement, and the Township has made it clear that it no longer intends to operate under that agreement. Whether the Library Board agrees with that decision or not, the reality is that the status quo no longer exists.
“The Board’s continued reliance on a “uniform agreement” philosophy ignores the fact that Antwerp Township is now in a position unlike any other branch within the district. The Township owns the building, maintains the building, and has provided formal notice that the prior agreement is no longer acceptable. These facts require a different conversation and a different approach. Simply insisting that every branch be treated identically does not address the legal and practical realities that now exist.
“For more than twenty years, Antwerp Township has provided a home for library services and has invested substantial local resources into the facility. The Township does not seek special treatment; rather, it seeks recognition of the unique responsibilities it has assumed and continues to assume on behalf of library patrons throughout the district. A refusal to acknowledge these facts only prolongs the dispute and delays the development of a sustainable long-term solution.
“If Antwerp Township ultimately places a millage request before its voters, the proposal would be restricted exclusively to the capital maintenance, repair, and preservation of the library building. Such a request would represent a significant commitment by Antwerp taxpayers to continue supporting library services and protecting a community asset that serves patrons throughout the District. However, the willingness of Township residents to consider additional taxation should not relieve the Van Buren District Library of its responsibility to participate meaningfully in the costs associated with maintaining one of its largest branch library facilities.
“A favorable vote by Antwerp Township residents would demonstrate their continued commitment to preserving and maintaining this beautiful facility for future generations. It would also reflect the community’s desire to ensure that library services remain available in a safe, functional, and well-maintained building. Conversely, if such a proposal were rejected by the voters, it would send a strong message that Antwerp taxpayers believe they have carried this burden long enough and that the Van Buren District Library must begin assuming a fair share of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the Antwerp Sunshine Library facility.
“Regardless of the outcome, the underlying issue remains unchanged: the long-term preservation of this facility cannot rest solely upon Antwerp Township general fund. A sustainable solution requires a genuine partnership in which both Antwerp Township and the Van Buren District Library share responsibility for maintaining a facility that benefits residents throughout the entire District.
“Accordingly, Antwerp Township requests that the Van Buren District Library provide the same $25,000 contribution that has been offered and sent to other participating municipalities. We believe it is both reasonable and equitable that Antwerp Township receive the same consideration and financial support being extended elsewhere within the District. This contribution would recognize the Township’s decades-long commitment to housing and maintaining library services and would help establish a foundation for productive discussions moving forward.
“In addition, Antwerp Township requests that the Library Board provide a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the future use of the Antwerp Sunshine Library facility. At a minimum, the Memorandum should establish an annual facility contribution from the Library District toward the maintenance, repair, and preservation of the building, as well as reimbursement of 65% percent of the electrical, natural gas, water, and sewer costs associated with library operations. These provisions would create a fair framework that recognizes the shared responsibility for a facility that serves residents throughout the district.
“If the Library Board is truly committed to maintaining library services in Antwerp Township, now is the time to move beyond statements of principle and demonstrate that commitment through meaningful financial participation in the facility from which those services are provided. Antwerp Township remains willing to continue discussions in good faith, but any lasting solution must acknowledge the unique circumstances that exist, the notice given for the 1997 agreement, and the need for a partnership that fairly allocates the costs of preserving this important community asset.
“Our residents deserve a solution, not a continued stalemate.”
Daniel J. Ruzick
Antwerp Township Supervisor
