Garland County petition looks to scale back property taxes, could impact county library funding

GARLAND COUNTY, Ark. – An effort by a local organization could impact the funding of the Garland County Library.

A petition is aimed at decreasing the amount of property taxes people pay that go toward the county library, but those with the library say this would be detrimental to their everyday operations.

Officials said the library receives around $3.5 million in local property taxes per year, equaling a millage rate of 1.6 mill on real and personal property taxes. The petition aims to decrease the funding of the library from 1.6 mill to 1 mill.

George Pritchett with the Garland County Tax Alliance, the group behind the petition, said they want to put money into taxpayers’ pockets.

“We don’t think it needs this level of funding that it has, and that’s why we have this effort to reduce it to 1 mill,” Pritchett said.

He said the property value has changed over the years, from when the current millage was decided.

“This is one that we found an option that the legislators gave us many years ago, and we can bring it before the people, we’re only asking the county and the library and the voters of Garland County to vote on the issue,” Pritchett said.

Pritchett said they don’t want to take the library away completely.

“We’re not asking to defund the library, we’re not asking to close the library,” Pritchett said. “The library is an important part of our community.”

Library director Adam Webb said lowering the funding would be disastrous, adding that they’re looking to close on weekends, cut hours and discontinue some other services if that happens.

He did say they have $5 million in reserve funds that does not come from local taxes, but noted it would not be enough to fund future projects and operations.

“If the voters say, ‘leave it like it is,’ we’ll go back to the drawing board and try to find other savings,” Pritchett said. “If they say ‘let’s reduce it,’ I’m confident that the county will fund the 1 mill and the library will continue to operate well, and they may make some adjustments but they’ll continue to operate well as they have for years.”

The group says they have started gathering signatures.

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