Jackson Public Library to close

This year will be the last after more than eight decades of operation for the Jackson Public Library.

Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr confirmed Thursday that the library will close by the end of 2013. The city's board of aldermen and the library board have approved the closure, which the mayor said is because of a lengthy financial struggle caused by the library's inability to collect sufficient revenue from its taxing district.

"It was really a hard decision to make, but all of us on the board felt it was in the best interest of our citizens," Lohr said.

Boundaries of the taxing district have not changed since 1965, despite the growth of the city. State law enacted that year prevents the boundaries from being changed, and previous attempts to change the library's tax levy, which is just more than 12 cents per $100 assessed valuation for residents of the district, along with efforts to combine the library operation with a regional library system, have not garnered voter support.

In 1995, Jackson voters did not want an 18-cent levy to replace the two levies that still exist for the two separate libraries in Jackson. If the measure had passed, revenue from the new levy would have been used to build a new library with combined services from the public library and the Riverside Regional Library branch in Jackson.

Lohr said the city has been subsidizing about a third of the library's operating expenses for many years, which takes about $50,000 per year from the city's general revenue fund.

City officials say the public library district will be taken into the Riverside Regional Library district, which levies a nearly 8-cent tax in Cape Girardeau County. Lohr said the district's board of trustees has voiced support for that option, but has yet to officially make a decision.

Once the public library closes, the 12-cent tax will no longer be levied.

The public library opened in 1927 and has been housed in several locations.

The library's staff say they are taking the city's decision in stride and understand the situation, since the library has faced the problem of expenses outrunning taxing ability for many years.

"It's kind of sad," said library assistant Judy Gorton, one of the library's four employees, "but the boundaries can't be changed."

Lohr said a community center that will be built in Jackson beginning next year is planned to include space for a reading room and for activities that take place in the current library, such as children's activities and small group meetings. An electronic library also has been mentioned by city officials as part of the center's design.

Jackson voters in November approved a quarter-cent sales tax that city officials have said will generate $500,000 a year to be split among parks, the new center's operational costs and maintenance and the city's general revenue fund, which has been subsidizing $100,000 annually to the parks fund. Accruing funds from the sales tax revenue eventually also may be used to build a new city pool since the current pool is aging.

Lohr said there are no solid plans yet for using the space the library currently occupies at 100 N. Missouri St. near the square in uptown Jackson, but the board of aldermen will be considering options soon. She also said the $50,000 the city will not spend annually to prop up the library's budget will be sent back into the general revenue fund to be used for various purposes such as street maintenance and possibly adding employees to city departments where positions need to be filled.

No exact date has been set for the closing of the public library.

Riverside Regional Library has locations in Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties, including the Jackson branch at 1997 E. Jackson Blvd.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

100 North Missouri St., Jackson, Mo.

1997 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson, Mo.