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Ali Moten uses a computer while others read in bean bag chairs in the young adult section of the Paseo Verde Library during its grand opening Saturday, August 24, 2002. The new library, located at Palo Verde and Green Valley Parkways, is the first new full-service library to be built in Henderson in 14 years. SAM MORRIS / LAS VEGAS SUN
By Tovin Lapan (contact) 
Published Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 | 4 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 | 11:03 p.m.
Sun coverage
- Blood, sweat and ideals: Young Las Vegans reflect on their first campaign in the trenches
- Election Day notebook: 67,478 people in Clark County cast ballots in first hours of voting
- School District’s capital improvements initiative awaits voters’ decision
- Las Vegans vote for local, state and higher education officials
- Nevada comes into its own as presidential swing state
- Berkley-Heller battle expected to be closest of the night
- His work in Nevada, Reid heads to Washington to monitor results from the rest of the country
- Drama to unfold in battle for Nevada’s newest congressional district
- Nevada GOP presses for policy influence in state Senate races
- Incumbents expect to rule in County Commission races
- More political news
A tax initiative to boost revenues at the Henderson Library District was defeated for the third time since 2001.
Nearly 55 percent of Henderson voters opposed the tax initiative, Question 1 on the ballot, which would raise property taxes by 2 cents per $100 in assessed value.
Library district leaders have warned that if the initiative doesn’t pass, the Galleria and Malcolm branches will be closed. Similar tax initiatives were voted down in 2001 and 2002.
The library district is independent from the city of Henderson, and the majority of its $7 million budget comes from property taxes. The district’s prerecession funding high was roughly $10 million. The district expects property values to continue to slide in the next few years, further decreasing funding.
The ballot initiative was bolstered by the political action committee Citizens for Henderson Libraries and the “Rescue My Library” public advocacy campaign, which have been working in support of the initiative. The supporters set up a Facebook page and peppered Henderson with distinctive yellow-and-black signs: “Vote Yes on Henderson Libraries Question 1.”
The Nevada Policy Research Institute, a local libertarian think tank with a mission to reduce taxes and government regulation, said tax proponents were being sensationalist and believed the libraries were relatively healthy given the current state of the economy.
Thomas Fay, Henderson Library District executive director, has said cost-saving efficiencies have been exhausted. The library reduced hours several times before this year. Then, in October, district libraries started closing on Mondays.
In fiscal 2011, the Henderson district had the equivalent of 86.5 full-time employees, down from a high of 101 in 2009. Fay said staff from the Malcolm and Galleria branches have been finding new jobs amid the uncertainty, and the total staff currently stands at the equivalent of 77.5 full-time employees. He is holding off on hiring anyone until after Election Day.
The district was estimating a revenue boost of approximately $1.5 million in the first year of collection, fiscal 2013-2014.
The last time the library district received a voter-approved tax rate increase was 1991, when Henderson had 65,000 residents. Today, the city has 265,000 residents and the library district property tax rate is lower than the rate for Las Vegas-Clark County, Boulder City and the North Las Vegas library districts. Las Vegas-Clark County’s rate is the highest of the four districts, at 9.42 cents per $100 in assessed property value, while Henderson Library District’s current rate is 5.75 cents per $100.
Sun reporter Conor Shine contributed to this report.
The 6 Library in Henderson has a 7 Million Dollar Budget. Why do they always want more Money from the TAXPAYERS ? The Well Is DRY !!!
"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."
Ray Bradbury
Absolutely disappointing. I hope things improve and they can find another way to get funding.
That's right, vote down "junk" like libraries. After all, why give your kids anywhere decent to spend time when they can run the streets and get into trouble, like here in Cincinnati. Two cents on a hundred equals about 20.00 on a hundred grand house. I guess the poor slobs in Henderson cannot afford that. I was coming down to look for a winter home in Henderson, but now I don't know.
Public libraries are publicly funded, hence the name. If a community desires them, it must support them just as it does fire, police, trash pickup, etc. Henderson voters have voiced their decision not to support this service, so it will be reduced to accomodate the decreased budget of recent years. The city has been getting more than what it pays for even though most people don't even realize how much the libraries offer them. It's unfortunate for the people who use these services, as well as for the people who will lose their jobs and the economy they'll have trouble supporting while they're without work.
Reading is so important to everyone, but especially the children of our community. The libraries provide many activities and other cultural events. I retired here because Henderson seemed a devoted community to it's citizens. I am a homeowner and keeping the libraries open would have been a minimal cost yearly. Voting down funds for the libraries was wrong & I hope this is not a pattern for the future.
"The district expects property values to continue to slide in the next few years, further decreasing funding." Weren't we being told everything was improving? I voted for the intiative but there are still a lot of people unemployed and hurting from the economy so maybe $20 on a $100.000 assessment is $20 they wouldn't have to spend on necessities. There are those, too, who just won't vote for an increase of any kind.