The Starke County Library Board asked the Starke County Council this week for permission to enter into a bond issue for $2 million to renovate and expand the Henry F. Schricker Library in Knox.
“We’ve had several focus groups and at each one of the meetings, the two main things that came up were more room for the children and meeting rooms,” said Library Director, Ellen Dodge. “Those are our two key points.”
The payment on the bonds would not increase the tax levy as the Board will be making the last payment on the 1998 refinancing bond in December of 2011.
“We’re hoping that you agree that the library is an asset to the community and that you’ll approve our bond issue for a maximum of $2 million at a rate of no more than 7%. If we keep it under $2 million, the levy will not go up, the taxes will not go up. We’ll just continue on the way we have been.”
Curt Pletcher, with H.J. Umbaugh and Associates who accompanied Ellen to the meeting, was asked by Council President, Mark Smith, about the timing for the bond issue.
“We’re really looking for the bonds for the library to have a debt service levy for budget year 2012,” replied Pletcher. “The bonds would have to be issued by November of this year.”
The payments would correspond with the current $150,000 a year rate now being paid.
