Library gets bond issue on special election ballot

Library officials are promoting the proposed expansion.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- Columbiana County election officials on Tuesday were programming voting machines for the Aug. 8 special election while children were playing at the site.
Leetonia's library is asking voters to approve a 1.5-mill bond issue for 25 years.
Librarian Andy Smith said the issue will produce about $1.4 million a year to finance the new facility that will be built at the site of the village's former high school and football field. The six-acre site is vacant.
The issue was defeated in May by 39 votes, according to the official election results.
The library board decided to try for the special election because of the close vote. The library will have to pay about $6,000 to cover the cost.
Smith said the board wanted to act while the issue "was still fresh in people's minds."
The library's party at the site was for its regular summer reading program. Kids played games, won prizes and ate.
Smith said the library has outgrown its older, multistory library. Officials have been promoting the issue by talking to groups and have made changes in response to comments from the public.
The proposed facility would be on one floor and would include a large meeting room, which is something the community lacks.
Scaled down
Smith said the proposal had been scaled down to about 14,000 square feet from initial plans for 20,000 to 25,000 square feet. It would still have a central area with materials to either side.
"We would have room to grow," Smith said.
Smith said he plans to talk to local officials in the next two weeks to help avoid confusion. Under state law, the library can put on an issue only through the school district. The schools and library district have the same boundaries. Smith said some people were confused by the legally required wording that appeared on the May ballot.
Plans had called for the proposed library to be in the middle of the site. Smith said instead, the library would be moved toward the southern portion of the site.
A soccer field at the northern edge of the site would be reconfigured. The field would be turned so its length would run east to west. A softball field would be added to the northeastern corner of the site.
Smith said the proposed new library, "would be a chance to improve the community and make it better."
Elections director Lois Gall said that five precincts are involved that have about 3,100 eligible voters. Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8.
wilkinson@vindy.com