According to an information sheet provided by the Van Buren District Library, the 2015 supplemental millage allowed Van Buren District Library (VBDL) to open all seven locations six days per week and significantly expand community programming. Renewing this millage ensures VBDL can maintain these hours and services, including:
2,067 events, classes, and programs offered in 2024 (up from 647 in 2014)
A growing collection of eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming content (over 15 percent of VBDL’s circulation of items that it loaned in 2024)
420 mobile Internet hotspots (expanded from 210 in 2022)
New initiatives like Transparent Language, free legal assistance via Michigan Legal Help, and the library’s latest service, Media by Mail, which provides free delivery of library materials to those who are homebound due to infirmity or age.
What will this cost the average homeowner?
Renewing the 1984 mill tax will cost approximately $14 per year for a home with a true cash value of $220,703 and a taxable value of $69,215, the average true cash and taxable values for homes in VBDL’s service area according to VanBuren County’s 2025 Equalization Report.
If the library does not receive the millage renewal?
VBDL could be forced to reduce services over time, including potential cuts to digital services like hoopla and mobile Internet hotspot lending.
For more information, visit vbdl.org/about/millagerenewal2025/
Thursday, October 16, 2025
