Word that the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library is set to lose thousands of dollars in annual revenue was not welcome news for patrons who visited the Greensburg library Wednesday afternoon.
The previous day, voters in Southwest Greensburg approved a referendum repealing a 1-mill portion of the borough’s 28-mill property tax that generated about $15,000 each year for the library. The move to redirect the revenue into the borough general fund was approved by about 57% of the 1,184 residents who cast ballots, according to unofficial election returns.
“That’s a nice chunk,” library patron Susan Harper of South Huntingdon said of the money involved. “I hate to see a library lose funding.”
Harper stopped at the library during a trip to Greensburg to renew her membership card and to check out some books.
“The library is very important,” she said. “It gives everyone a chance to read, learn and gain knowledge.”
“That’s sad,” Greensburg resident Danielle Nicholson said of the vote to remove the neighboring borough’s library tax support. “That’s politics for you.”
“I think it’s ridiculous,” fellow Greensburg resident Sally Brown said.
Nicholson, who recently moved from Pittsburgh, comes to the library to get online and borrow reading material.
“There’s a lot of things to come to the library for,” she said. “A lot of people don’t have a computer.”
Brown said she visits the library at least three times a week to check out books or videos.
“I guess I’ll have to give a bigger (library) donation this year,” she said.
Vice President Bob Warren said Southwest Greensburg Council felt the 1 mill of tax revenue could be better used for other borough needs. He said it likely will help cover repayment of a $400,000 loan the borough is taking out to leverage $1 million in state gambling funds for construction of a new public works garage.
“It’s something we really didn’t like doing,” Warren said of the tax repeal referendum. “It’s something we had to do with the money.”
A similar referendum was shot down by almost 54% of 938 Southwest Greensburg voters in 2022.
Warren said he believes a letter council mailed to residents promoting approval of this year’s referendum helped win approval at Southwest Greensburg’s two voting precincts, where council members were on hand.
He estimated the mailing cost the borough about $1,500.
“It was worthwhile to get the information out to the public so they could make a decision based on facts,” he said.
“That’s up to them,” Greensburg resident and library patron Samuel Boyd said. “It’s their money, as long as (library officials) aren’t going to take it out on something else.”
The library had volunteers at the polls to advocate for continued tax support, but Director Jamie Falo said the library had little time to get its counter message across following the borough’s mailing.
“Despite the tax referendum not passing in favor of the library, we remain committed to serving all residents in Southwest Greensburg and beyond with access to free library resources, programs and services,” Falo said. “We are grateful for the support we have received throughout this process, and we want to assure the community that our mission to promote literacy and foster lifelong learning will be our priority.”
Falo noted local financial effort is one factor in a formula that determines the level of state funding for the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library. With the withdrawal of the Southwest Greensburg tax revenue, she learned the library can expect to lose about $1,000 in state funding next year, an annual loss that could triple by 2027.
She said the state funding formula will result in an additional loss of almost $12,000 next year — resulting from a decrease in the poverty level measured by the school lunch program in Hempfield.
“We will continue to seek creative ways to fund our services,” Falo said. “We will just work harder and try to keep plugging away at what we’re doing.”
Falo suggested those who want to support the library can do so by patronizing its fundraising activities or making a direct donation through it website, ghal.org.
During the library’s giving tree program in December, she said, visitors can select an item from the tree to purchase for the library. Items range from books and office supplies to gift cards.
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The library serves 11 municipalities including Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg, South Greensburg, Hempfield, Youngwood, Adamsburg, Hunker, Madison, New Stanton, Arona and Salem. Youngwood hosts a branch library at its borough office complex.
Several of the communities provide financial support to the library, either through a dedicated tax, a budgeted donation or, in Youngwood’s case, covering utility costs. Hempfield Area School District also provides funding.
According to bylaws of the library board, Falo said, Southwest Greensburg would no longer be eligible to have a representative on the panel — since a seat is reserved for communities or school districts within the service area that provide financial support.
Warren couldn’t say whether Southwest Greensburg Council might consider a smaller library donation next year as an alternative to the repealed tax.
“We do think the library is important,” he said. “At this point, I think it’s going to be: Let’s get our budget done.”