“Dear Editor,
I saw in today’s Intell the article about the mayors convention and the call for cities to have the ability to raise sales tax to improve services to residents. I believe that Lancaster City would gladly support the Lancaster Public Library at the State recommended $5 per capita rather than at the rate they currently are which is $1.77. If the tax applied to the County, then the Lancaster Library alone would receive an additional $673,440 from it’s 14 municipalities to operate.
Economic development flourishes in a community/city/county and state because quality of life is higher due to the provision of human services. Therefore, while no one likes to raise taxes, they are necessary in a democracy. Attached is an advocacy piece written for the Pennsylvania Library Association. [Click here to read.]
Countywide, for all the libraries in the 60 municipalities, $5 per capita would be an operating increase of $1,270,000. The sum total of municipal appropriations in Lancaster County (does not include County Funding) is $2.46 per capita for year 2008 based on a population of 500,000 people.
For your information, Allegheny County does a RAD Tax which includes funding support for library services.
Susan L. Hauer, Administrator
Library System of Lancaster County”
