Library seeks millage renewal
Aug. 6 question would slightly raise current levy to 90 cents per $1K in property value
- AALIYAH LOVELL OF Iron Mountain plays with her daughters Elli, 3, and Myra, 2, at the Dickinson County Library in Iron Mountain. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
- THE MAIN DICKINSON County Library in Iron Mountain, one of three county library sites. The other two are the Solomonson branch in Norway and the North Dickinson branch in Felch Township.(Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
- STAFF MEMBER Amanda Griggs works behind the front counter at the Dickinson County Library in Iron Mountain. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

AALIYAH LOVELL OF Iron Mountain plays with her daughters Elli, 3, and Myra, 2, at the Dickinson County Library in Iron Mountain. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County Library will have a millage request for library operations on the Aug. 6 ballot.
According to Librarian Megan Buck, the millage will be for 0.9 mills, which is 90 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value. Of that amount, .8988 mills is a renewal of the previously authorized millage that expires in 2024 and 0.0012 mills is new additional millage. The millage would be for a period of five years, 2025 to 2029.
The millage covers the operations and maintenance of all three Dickinson County Library sites — the main library in Iron Mountain, the Solomonson Branch in Norway and the North Dickinson Branch in Felch Township.
“The millage is worded as such because we experienced a Headlee Rollback of our previously approved .9 mill millage, resulting in the collection of .8988 mills,” Buck said. “The only way to return to our previous millage is to ask for the ‘new additional millage’ that was rolled back.”
The Headlee Amendment, passed in 1978, requires millages to roll back when property values increase faster than inflation. Proposal A legislation passed in 1994 took away the ability to “roll up” millages that were rolled back due to the Headlee Amendment. Buck said this has had an effect on library finances.

THE MAIN DICKINSON County Library in Iron Mountain, one of three county library sites. The other two are the Solomonson branch in Norway and the North Dickinson branch in Felch Township.(Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
“2022 was the first time in a long time that the library experienced a Headlee reduction in our collected millage,” she added.
The estimated revenue to be generated from the millage in 2025 is $945,000 and the proposed levy is for five years.
The library provides programs and materials for all county residents. Its summer reading program currently is underway. Events are planned throughout the summer and a full list can be found in the library’s Summer Reading brochure or on the website and Facebook pages.
They are also working on a new website that will be launched soon, Buck said.
They have engaged a strategic planning firm, Fast Forward Libraries, to assist in creating a new strategic plan for the library.

STAFF MEMBER Amanda Griggs works behind the front counter at the Dickinson County Library in Iron Mountain. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)
“This is a very exciting time for planning, as the library recently received a bequest from the Zanardi Family and the process is expected to begin in September 2024,” Buck said. “More information on ways to share your opinions and suggestions will be coming this fall.”