Advocates for the Public Library Tax Talk Facts, Myths

Voters in the Branson and Hollister School Districts will vote on a Public Library Tax to help the Taneyhills Library continue operations on August 8th.

Library Director Marcia Schempher-Carlock along with LaDella Thomas, part of the group advocating for the passage of the tax, appeared on KRZK's Ozarks Now Program to discuss the issue.

The tax would be a $0.18 addition on real estate and personal property to fund the continuation of the library which has been funded privately through donations since its creation in 1933. Schempher-Carlock said if passed, an already appointed Public Library Board will manage the library and they would decide expenditures and policies for the library. Schempher-Carlock addressed concerns that a public library would mean the government could force the library to take books that they considered offensive to which Schemper-Carlock stated that those decisions would be made locally by the library board. 

Thomas added that the increased volume of people using the many library services has made it impossible for the library to continue to operate with the current private funding model and would force the library to close at the end of the year.

The complete interview from Ozarks Now can be heard below:

"Shall there be a tax of eighteen cents
($0.18) on each one hundred dollars
assessed valuation on real estate and
personal property located in the
Branson/Hollister Library Subdistrict for
library services?"