IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County voters will be asked later this year to renew a millage levy for the county library through 2029.

The proposal calls for a levy of 0.9 mills, or 90 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, up a fraction from the current 0.8988 mills.

Dickinson County Board approved the ballot language this week but hesitated over the proposed increase of 0.0012 mills not being a question of its own.

“I’m not happy that it’s together,” Commissioner Joe Stevens said. He added that he supports the library as being among the best in Michigan.

Voters in 2018 authorized the library’s request for a levy of 0.9 mills, or 90 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, through 2024. The vote was 3,165 yes to 1,815 no. The current levy is a fraction lower, due to Michigan’s Headlee rollback that prevents property tax revenues from increasing more than the rate of inflation.

The library has sometimes levied less than its full rate, most recently dropping to 0.85 mills for the 2019 budget year. The estimated total revenue from the proposed millage is $945,000 in 2025.

Library Board Chairman William Cummings said the ballot language was prepared by Anne Seurynck, an attorney with Foster Swift Collins and Smith, which has an office in Marquette. The proposal states that .8988 mills is a renewal, while .0012 mills is a new additional millage.

“I can’t predict how people will react when trying to read it,” Commissioner Barbara Kramer said, adding she hopes it doesn’t affect the chances of passage.

On a home worth $100,000, with a taxable value of $50,000, a tax of 0.9 mills amounts to $45 per year. At the rate of 0.8988 mills, it would be $44.94, or a savings of 6 cents.

Cummings provided the county board with a summary of the library’s 2024 budget. It shows an anticipated fund balance of $1.57 million but also unfunded long-term liabilities, including $1.43 million for the Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan.

The millage will likely be on the Aug. 6 primary ballot, or the Nov. 5 general election is an option as well. The county will await a decision on that from library officials.