How much these library systems are preparing to lose if the Amendment passes
Looking at Bay County itself, if Amendment 3 passes, it is projected to lose $36 million by 2028.
“Unfortunately, that’s not going to cover the library services, parks and [recreation], and Bayway Transit,” Burris said. “There are going to be a lot of services that are going to not fall within that budget, and it’s just a numbers game.”
Since the Miami-Dade County library system has millage, Habif was able to estimate how much funding could be lost.
“Our library system has a millage, which means that for every $1,000 in taxable value, the homeowner typically pays about 28 cents that goes directly to the library, and in Miami-Dade County, that’s about $42 a year for the average homeowner,” Habif said.
Effects of library systems losing funding
In Miami-Dade, many libraries are used as election polling sites.
If Amendment 3 passes, Habif anticipates a 20% cut across the board, which would include these voting locations — potentially making it harder for residents to vote.
Most people turn to the library for trusted information and free access to the internet.
“That’s one of the biggest things that the library does is kind of gap-cover the digital divide in America,” Habif added. “People who do not have access either to Wi-Fi, internet, or the device itself, they go to the library to get those.”
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