T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Marshalltown Public Library Director Sarah Rosenblum searched for a scrapbook of the history of the library. The library is facing a $200,000 loss as a result of House File 718.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series by the Times-Republican on effects of House File 718.)

The future is uncertain for the Marshalltown Public Library. There is no question the library will still serve the citizens of Marshalltown. However, there may not be as many operating hours or services due to House File 718 (HF718), a $100 million property tax cut approved by the Iowa Legislature earlier this year.

The library is expected to lose $200,000 as a result of the bill. The unknown future effects of HF718 have been keeping Marshalltown Public Library Director Sarah Rosenblum up at night.

“From what I understand from the Iowa Library Association, the bill came together like that,” she said. “I tend to think libraries were collateral damage. I’m pretty gutted by this, trying to figure out how we’re going to do this. And we don’t have all the facts.”

Rosenblum said other impacted communities, such as Waterloo, have gathered information indicating the bill was never meant to negatively impact libraries.

“They urged all of us to talk to our legislators and say we need an amendment, whether reversed fully or partially,” she said.

Rosenblum said the library is the “mothership” of Marshalltown when it comes to resources, and expects citizens might be upset. When it comes to quality of life in Marshalltown, Rosenblum said the library is at the top. Unlike the Aquatic Center or the trails, the library is available year-round.

“I love when people tell us how much they value the things we provide here,” she said.

HF718, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May, consolidates levies into city general funds. That includes the library levy approved by Marshalltown voters in November 2015. When Rosenblum started working at the library 12 years ago, she said the budget was already tight.

At that time, there was a cut to the library budget, and Rosenblum was instructed to find new money. That is when she learned about the library levy created by the Iowa Legislature.

The voter-approved 2015 levy allowed the Marshalltown Public Library to operate seven days per week, expand the programs, increase investment in the book collection and technology and reduce wait times.

“People were very excited about having the library open seven days a week,” Rosenblum said.

During her career in Marshalltown, Rosenblum said they have not had a big budget. Without the 2015 levy, the library would not have acquired new books or programs, or had money for building maintenance. She said the library would have lost a lot of ground without the levy.

“I’ll be honest, if we lose $200,000 out of our budget, that’s one-fifth of my budget,” Rosenblum said. “We’re talking major reductions. We will be behind where we were when we got the levy.”

To emphasize the impact, she said the library might close Sundays and Mondays.

“We might be looking at Tuesday through Saturday, which would be hard on our community,” she said. “It would be hard on the people who need the library the most, hard on my staff.”

There might be a reduction in the amount of books with the increasing cost. Children’s books have increased by an average of $5 to $7, and adult books have gone up $3 to $5.

Rosenblum said all magazine subscriptions could be canceled. The only newspapers the library would retain would be the Times-Republican and the Des Moines Register. Databases and computer programming could also be lost.

“Even then, I’m not sure we would make the $200,000 we would have to eat,” Rosenblum said. “It’s pretty dire.”

The library is an economic driver of Marshalltown, she said. People from neighboring communities travel to the community just to use the library. Last year, 102,000 people walked through the doors, and 12,000 people used the computers. The library was chosen as the only Iowa location for the traveling exhibit “Americans and the Holocaust.”

Rosenblum said it brought in 10,000 people from 31 states and two countries. She said the library is also the primary source for free meeting room space in Marshalltown.

“This is where people come first,” Rosenblum said.

Legislators

Rep. Sue Cahill (D-Marshalltown) voted in favor of HF718 but felt the bill is a “shell game.”

“It’s a complicated piece as all tax bills are,” she said. “The state leaders say they’re giving tax cuts, but the cities and counties have to make up the difference.”

Cahill said people want reduced taxes, but thinks the bill is an example of stealing from Peter to pay Paul.

“I think [the city] will have to look at the general budget,” she said. “The library is a gem and is an essential piece of the community. How do they want to redistribute the funding so they can make up the difference? Those are tough conversations.”

Cahill is not sure how the city will be able to make up the $200,000 difference.

Sen. Jeff Edler (R-State Center) also voted in favor of HF718 because lowering taxes is the number one concern of his constituents. He does not believe voters understood the future impact of the 2015 levy when they approved it.

“The last couple of years, I have been bombarded by taxpayers about property assessments,” Edler said. “We need to stay in check as assessments go through the roof. Since I have been in office, my main goal has been to budget at the state level. Just because you have extra money there does not mean you have to spend it. This will force conversations about tax relief.”

He has been in communication with Marshall County taxpayers who have not agreed with how taxes are spent. So far, citizens he has spoken to are elated the legislature is trying to do something to reduce property taxes while assessments are increasing.

“The taxpayers have asked us to intervene on this,” Edler said. “I don’t like to get involved in local governments, but this will force discussions about the effects property taxes have on Iowans.”

Edler added HF718 will not have effects on communities with no growth. Plus, it will help make Iowa look better for businesses looking to move or relocate.

“Iowa was ranked 40th in the nation for worst property taxes,” he said. “We need growth, so our property tax needs to be competitive. Property tax is one of the first things business owners look at. It needs to be attractive and competitive so we can keep moving up the ladder as the best in the nation. The goal is to make Iowa competitive for people and business — small and large.”

While he said there are two sides to every story, it is important to find the middle ground.

“That will mitigate unhappiness and get sustainable budgets,” Edler said.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.