Saline County voters will decide Tuesday whether to reduce the property tax money that funds the county’s public library system, a measure that opponents say could affect branches and services.
The proposal appears on the Nov. 3 ballot as Issue 5. The Saline County Library Alliance, a nonpartisan group opposing the measure, has been campaigning against the reduction as Election Day approaches. The alliance has distributed yard signs and other materials and paid for a billboard on Military Road in Benton.
One point of concern is the Saline County Library’s newest branch, which operates in a rented unit at an East End strip mall near a hair salon, an optometrist’s office and restaurants. The library system pays $56,000 per year to rent the space.
“We've had multiple candidates that are running from both sides come out and say that they do not support [Issue 5] and told their people that they would not vote for it,” Lela Chism of the Saline County Library Alliance said.
Chism, who is running for a Shannon Hills city council seat, said alliance members met with library patrons in August who were unaware that the measure would appear on the ballot. She said awareness increased as the election neared.
A continuing dispute over libraries
The vote follows several years of disagreement in Saline County over library funding and the content of books available to patrons. Three years ago, the library director was fired during a dispute with conservatives who wanted books addressing LGBTQ+ topics removed from library shelves.
The conflict has been part of broader debates in Arkansas and elsewhere over access to books addressing race, sexuality and other controversial subjects. The current ballot question focuses on the property tax revenue supporting the county library system.
- Issue: Saline County Issue 5
- Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3
- Library branch rent: $56,000 annually for the East End location
Lisa Bergren and Chism previously urged the Saline County Quorum Court not to place the measure on the November ballot. The two attended a May 18 meeting of the quorum court, where they argued against putting the proposal before voters.
The Saline County Library’s Facebook page includes voting information. Chism said the library itself has been limited in its ability to advocate because the measure was placed on the ballot by elected officials.
