Library Funding

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

CLPL staff and trustees are humbled by your support with the passage of a library levy in November 2023.  Your local support means we can not just survive in the coming years, but thrive and grow with you!

 

Common Questions on Library Funding 

1. How are public libraries funded in Ohio?

Public libraries receive funding from two potential primary sources:

  • The Public Library Fund (PLF). Each month, the PLF receives 1.7% of the state's total tax revenue received during the previous month in the General Revenue Fund (GRF). State tax revenue that goes into the GRF comes from multiple sources, including the state personal income tax, sales and use tax, business taxes, etc.
  • A local property tax levy.

2. Do all of Ohio's public libraries have a local property tax levy?

No, 48 public libraries do not have a local property tax levy and rely solely on state funding through the PLF as their primary source of funding for day-to-day operations and providing services to their communities.  With the passage of a 1 mill local property tax levy in November 2023, CLPL has local dollars supporting its ability to serve the community.

3. Do public libraries receive local county sales tax revenue, local city income tax revenue, or Casino revenue?

No, public libraries do not have taxing authority to implement a local sales tax or income tax. Also, unlike counties, cities, and school districts, public libraries do not receive Casino revenue from Ohio's four casinos. 

4. How much funding for public libraries comes from the state?

Collectively, 49% of the total funding (state and local) for Ohio's public libraries comes from the state through the Public Library Fund. 

5. What is the Return on Investment (ROI) to taxpayers for utilizing Ohio's public libraries?

  • Ohio has the highest use per capita in the U.S.
  • Ohio has the highest percentage of registered borrowers.
  • Ohio’s public libraries provided $3.07 billion in direct economic value to Ohio residents.
  • For every dollar spent by Ohio’s public libraries, Ohioans receive $5 in economic value.*

 

*Howard Fleeter & Associates, The Return on Investment of Ohio’s Public Libraries & A Comparison with Other States, prepared for the Ohio Library Council (August 2021).   

 


Source URL: https://www.cardingtonlibrary.org/funding