About
It all started when…
The taxpayers of Lincoln voted to pass a 1 cent sales tax to fund a new library.
How your library is funded.
In March of 2012 the voters of Lincoln passed a 1 cent tax to fund the Library’s construction and operation. The breakdown of that 1 cent tax is as follows: 0.625% for the construction and 80% of 0.375% to the Library operation and 20% of 0.375% to parks and recreation.
That same sales tax is still in effect today. Though now the 0.625% is funding the Community building on the square. That 80% of 0.375% makes up 36.91% of our yearly budget. We cannot thank the citizens of Lincoln enough for their generous vote to fund our library.
The City of Lincoln Council has also generously voted to provide additional sales tax revenue for our Library. This accounts for 12.3% of our yearly budget.
If you were not aware, we are part of an interlocal agreement between the City of Lincoln and Washington County, that makes us a city/county library. The Washington County Library System contributes 50.62% of our funding. Their contributions make everyday operations possible! With access to the full Washington County Library System card catalog and daily deliveries of books, DVDs, and CDs for our patrons to use.
The remainder of our revenue comes from Grants at 0.15%, Donations at 0.02%, and Miscellaneous Library revenue at 0.63%.
Arkansas Public Library laws govern all public libraries in Arkansas, including your library. In accordance with the law, the Lincoln Public Library has a board of trustees. Our board consist of 5 members appointed by the mayor. The board works with the Library Director and City council to ensure the library adheres to Subchapter 5 of the Arkansas Public Library Laws.
Construction of your Library:
The old library building was a converted mercantile storefront on the town square. It was packed to the rafters with books. When it rained, water ran in through the back door. The Library staff, City officials, and volunteers came together to collect signatures for your vote. Your vote provided the tax revenue to fund the construction of your new library.
