The Allen County Public Library board of trustees voted to move forward with phase one of the library’s proposed Facilities Master Plan, which includes infrastructure and facility upgrades beginning with seven of the current branches.
ACPL executive director Susan Baier said while the original plan was announced in 2022, they have continued to refine that plan, which has led to the first phase.
“We always knew that we couldn’t do everything all at once, that we would have to do some prioritizing and triaging," she said, "We expect a lot of conversation and questions and excitement and we’re here for it.”
The first phase will include updates to the Dupont, Georgetown, Hessen Cassel, New Haven and main branches, as well as new buildings for the Aboite and Shawnee branches.
The plan will require the approval of a $37 million tax bond by the Allen County Council, which would combine with ACPL’s $20 million reserve funds. If passed, it is expected to increase property taxes, with a $150 thousand home seeing an increase of $10.94 annually.
No referendum was triggered when the project was announced in 2022. The board will submit a request to the Allen County Council to add the plan to its Nov. 13 agenda.
The library released a break down of the expected tax increase, with their expert calling it "conservative," for anyone to review on their website. They also released more details about the proposed plan and the first phase.
