REESTABLISHMENT OF FREE LIBRARIES

IN CHARTER TOWNSHIPS

House Bill 4119 as introduced

Sponsor:  Rep. Luke Meerman

Committee:  Local Government and Municipal Finance

Revised 2-26-19

SUMMARY:

House Bill 4119 would amend the Charter Township Act to allow charter townships to reestablish certain free public libraries.

The act currently allows the township board of a charter township located in a county with a population of between 750,000 and 2,000,000 to establish and maintain a free public library if the township was not located within the service area of an established free public library within the previous three years.

The bill would also allow the township board of a charter township to reestablish and maintain a free public library that was established as a township library under a public act that was since repealed.

MCL 42.13a

FISCAL IMPACT:

Currently existing charter township libraries that could be reestablished under the bill already receive both state aid to libraries and penal fine revenue and are already incorporated into their charter township operating budgets. Library of Michigan staff indicated that they could not identify a case where a charter township library formerly existed, but ceased operation, and could be reestablished under the bill; therefore, the bill would have no impact on any currently operating library’s state aid to libraries or penal fine revenue allocation.

                                                                                         Legislative Analyst:   Nick Kelly

                                                                                                Fiscal Analysts:   Samuel Christensen

                                                                                                                           Jacqueline Mullen

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.