Regional Industry & News

Voters in Saline County opted against a ballot measure last week that would have reduced local property tax funding for the county's library system by about 35%.

The measure would have cut the millage rate supporting the library system from 1.7 to 1.1 mills. One mill equates to $1 in tax for every $1,000 of the assessed value of a piece of property.

The county Quorum Court voted 10-2 in May to place the question on the general election ballot in Saline County as Issue 5.

As of Saturday morning, unofficial returns were:

[For updates and statewide election coverage visit: arkansasonline.com/election/ ]

In 2026, library system officials expect to receive close to $4.2 million in local tax revenue, according to board documents. Assuming tax collections remain around the same, the proposed reduction in the millage rate would have reduced the library system's annual local tax revenue to about $2.7 million.

The library system has three branches in Benton, Bryant and Hensley, and also operates Benton's Gann Museum.

On Wednesday night, the Saline County Library Alliance posted a celebratory statement on Facebook.

"We are absolutely thrilled that our library's funding remains secure!!!" the statement said. "But we also know this fight isn't over. This campaign has shown us that there are people in our community who don't value the library the way we do. That means we have to keep showing up. We have to keep speaking out, educating our neighbors, and encouraging our community to use and appreciate this incredible resource."

Lisa Bergren, the alliance's treasurer, said Thursday that Issue 5's defeat illustrated how important it was to inform the community about the library system's value.

"We're really excited about spreading the joy of this victory and just getting more people involved in the library," Bergren said. "That's really what it's all about."

According to Bergren, if the measure had passed, staffing and hours of operation would have likely been the first cuts. Although there was no impact study done in Saline County, she said, those were the first effects of budget reductions after Craighead County voted for similar cuts to its library system in 2022.

Bergren said every person her organization spoke to was against the issue, with many unaware the funding would even be put to a vote.

"They said they did not understand why this was being put on the ballot," Bergren said. "Most people were against it and didn't have any clue until we talked to them."

Among the most vocal supporters of Issue 5 was Saline County Judge Matt Brumley.

"Saline County residents had the opportunity to make their voices heard on Issue 5, and we are grateful so many people came out to cast their votes," Brumley said in a statement. "While the results were close, the people have spoken and the decision to remain at our current 1.7 mills has been made. Saline County has an amazing library system and staff that are dedicated to serving our citizens today and for generations to come."

The Saline County Library Alliance formed three years ago to support Patty Hector, the library system's director at the time, who was in the midst of a dispute over the content of library materials.

In April 2023, the Quorum Court approved a measure requesting that the county's libraries relocate "materials that are not subject matter or age appropriate for children, due to their sexual content or imagery, to an area that is not accessible to children."

The Saline County Republican Women, a conservative group, put up a billboard in Benton that read, "Stop X-Rated Library Books." A list compiled by the group at the time included young adult, coming-of-age and romance novels, such as "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," as well as books including sex education topics, LGBTQ+ characters and discussions of racism.

Hector declined to move the books, arguing they were already shelved in the appropriate sections.

The Quorum Court subsequently voted to shift more control over the library system to the county judge, stripping the library system's board of its authority to hire and fire employees.

Last month, Hector, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, reached a settlement with Saline County in a lawsuit over her termination. The county defendants agreed to pay Hector $225,000 and cover $50,000 in attorney fees.

Bergren said the controversy over Hector and library materials may have played a role in the issue being placed on the ballot, but the pressure to cut library funding also came from other places.

"It's just in the culture right now to have libraries under attack," Bergren said.

When the Quorum Court voted to advance the referendum, Saline County Justice of the Peace Josh Curtis, a Republican who represents District 7, said the measure had to do with tax relief and was unrelated to Hector.

"We're basing this off of numbers, not anything else," Curtis said at the time.

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