After failed levy, Kuna Library board of trustees is back to square one

Jordan Erb; Kuna Melba News/Idaho Press

When the members of the Kuna Library board of trustees went to bed on May 21, they were sure their levy would pass.

They had done everything they could to get the word out, they said, and had received positive feedback as they petitioned the community in the weeks leading up to the vote. Nonetheless, the levy, which would have expanded the library’s facilities — an action they say is desperately needed — failed.

“I was stunned,” said newly appointed trustee Barbara Powell during the board’s meeting following the vote.

“I cried,” said trustee Marie Leavitt, to a room of nodding heads and disappointed glances.

Now, it’s time for them to focus on the plan going forward.

The board decided June 18 they would eventually go out for another levy, but not any time soon; 2020 or 2021 would likely be the earliest they would even consider doing so. When the time comes, they might utilize more volunteers or start campaigning earlier. In the meantime, they’re left wondering what went wrong.

To the women of the library, low public engagement played a role in their defeat.

Only 17.7% of Canyon County’s registered voters took part in the May 21 vote, and in Ada County, the breakdown was even more bleak, with only 13.24% of eligible voters casting a ballot. In Canyon County, 59 votes were cast in favor of the levy and 232 were cast against it. In Ada County, 823 votes were in favor and 842 were against.

“The loss of the levy was disappointing, but the low voter turnout was devastating to me,” said Joan Gidney, a trustee. “So few people made a choice for the entire district. That was just devastating.”

While they don’t know the cause of the low turnout, they speculated that it may have been because it was an off year and not aligned with an election important enough to bring people out to vote, or because of an apathy toward civic engagement, or the belief that one’s vote doesn’t matter.

The board members said that people who voted against the levy likely don’t welcome higher taxes and didn’t see the value in paying more to help mitigate the aches caused by the growth.

“People don’t feel like they can afford any more taxes,” said Tam Svedin, co-director of the library. “We are taxed pretty heavily. All of us.”

Responses to a Facebook post by the Kuna Melba News confirmed this, as people who voted no expressed concerns about spending more money on the library. The library’s attempted levy also came at a difficult time, with the Ada County assessor’s yearly report showing an increase in individual tax burden.

Further, the trustees also worry people don’t believe the library is being utilized enough to warrant a levy that would expand the building. However, statistics from the library show a different picture — one where the library plays an increasingly vital role.

In May 2018, there were 11,569 book checkouts, which rose to 12,302 in May 2019. In May 2018, 770 people were using the library’s eBooks, whereas in May 2019, the number had grown to 1,107. Each month for the past year, the library has issued between 75 and 100 new library cards, an illustration of the facility’s growth and usage.

The library’s utility reaches beyond just books, according to the board members. It offers Wi-Fi hotspots, which allow families to have at-home internet and are almost always checked out, according to Svedin. People have been coming from Meridian and Boise to use the library’s new passport services, and the Fit and Fallproof class, a fitness program designed to help senior citizens prevent injury.

The class is often full, making the classroom it’s taught in a bit too cozy, said Powell.

All of this growth takes a toll on the library, they said, and is creating a need for more space.

In the time before they go out for another levy, the board is aiming to educate the community and combat any negativity with these statistics on growth. According to Svedin, many people may see the library as irrelevant in today’s society. The board wants to prove them wrong.

“Everything here is basically free, and our children need it,” Leavitt, a former teacher, said. “… Our children are going to be our leaders — our mayors, our governors, our presidents, and everything in between. I don’t care if you’re 90. They’re the future of this country, so we need to educate them.”