Jeffco library budget includes $8 million more in revenue

Thanks to the boost by voters in November, the 2016 Jefferson County libary budget has $ 8 million more to spend to expand branch hours of service, update its technology and provide more high-demand items.Earlier this month, the Library Board of Trustees and Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved a $ 34.4 million public library budget that includes a tax rate of 4.121 mills — an increase from the 3.425 mills in 2015 that will bring in an additional $ 8 million in revenues.Voters in November approved giving the Jefferson County Public Library the authority to raise the tax rate, which hadn’t been increased since 1986 to a maximum of 4.5 mills.The increase means the owner of a home assessed at $ 100,000 will pay 41 cents more a monthtowards the library this year.The library plans to address all of its initiatives within five years. But for 2016, it will focus on improving hours, technology and materials. The library also agreed to contribute $ 2 million from the new revenues to the library’s reserve fund as a savings cushion for the future.Thanks to the boost by voters in November, the 2016 Jefferson County libary budget has $ 8 million more to spend to expand branch hours of service, update its technology and provide more high-demand items.