Township Service Renewals
November 5, 2024 - Ballot Information
Residents living in Chocolay Charter Township, Marquette Charter Township, Sands Township, Skandia Township, and West Branch Township will have the opportunity to vote on continued library services with Peter White Public Library (PWPL) on November 5, 2024.
If you live in the City of Marquette, see our FAQs for more information.
What's on the ballot?
A renewal of library services with your township. There will be no increase in the library service millage rate.
- If the ballot proposal passes in your township, you will continue to have PWPL services in the same manner as you currently enjoy.
- If the ballot proposal fails in your township, library services with PWPL will be terminated and residents will need to purchase a non-resident card to use the library.
Library services are a great value!
How much will the renewal cost?
Township service contracts give township residents access to all PWPL services for 1.0 mills. Each township millage rate is rolled back due the Headlee Amendment. To figure your annual cost you will need your home's taxable value amount. That number can be found on your property tax statement see example. Once you have that number, you can use this calculator to figure how much your renewal will cost.
What is the value of your library use?
Use the Library Value Estimator to calculate an estimated value of the services, resources, and materials provided by the library.
The renewed millage will allow PWPL to continue offering excellent library services and develop a diverse collection of library materials and resources:
- Over 180,000 physical books, movies, and other materials,
- 24/7 township book return locations in all service townships,
- 24-hour access to eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, and streaming services,
- Over 100 years of digitized content with The Mining Journal Digital Collection,
- Library programs and cultural opportunities for all ages,
- Meeting rooms for community meetings and events,
- Public-use computers and printing and copy services.
PWPL serves the residents of 6 municipalities in Marquette County. Residents pay a portion of their property taxes to support PWPL. This tax support allows residents within the service area to qualify for a library card, granting them access to both our physical and digital collections. It also allows PWPL to provide a variety of other library services, including streaming services, community programming, and meeting space.
The Township Advisory Council is an advisory board made up of residents from contracted townships. These residents are appointed by Township Boards in our service area, and provide a liaison between the Library and Township boards. More information about our Township Advisory Council can be found on this page of our website.
Library Finances
Additional information about library finances can be found on this page of our website. Annual Audits and Annual Statistics provide more detailed overview of the Library's finances.
