Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Nov. 5, 2024 – The millage for the Jonesboro/Craighead Public Library will remain the same after an initiative to increase the budget to two mills failed by over 4,800 votes.
58.48% of voters voted against the measure, while 38.81% voted for it.
Iris Stevens, coordinator of Citizens Taxed Enough, an organization against increasing the millage, said the library did not need the extra money proposed in the millage.
“At this time when people go to the grocery store, they have to put off buying groceries because of inflation and things, all of our government offices have to pack their belts. So, we’re very much against that library millage,” Stevens said.
The issue to decrease the library millage first went before voters in the 2022 midterm election cycle. It passed by a margin of 50.13% at the city level and 61.53% at the county level. Since the budget cut, the library has reduced its hours and cut staff. The new hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
The Jonesboro/Craighead County Library said it would not comment on the results on Election Day, but it will be releasing a statement on Thursday.
The group in support of the measure, the Committe to Restore Our Libraries, petitioned to get it on the ballot earlier this year, collecting 146 signatures. It was signed and verified Sept. 9 by Jonesboro City Clerk April Leggett.
Dean MacDonald Jr., principal board member with the committee, said the group will be returning to the drawing board regarding the results.
“We will get the library’s funding restored, it just won’t be this election cycle,” he said. “The right thing is to restore the library’s funding, but Jonesboro’s, well, we’ve got some growing up to do.”