TRAVERSE CITY -- Nikki Sobkowski wants Peninsula Township to consider leaving the countywide Traverse Area District Library system over a funding dispute with the main library board.
Sobkowski, board president for Peninsula Community Library, warned her board will look to break away from TADL when its millage expires in 2016 over a proposed $14,000 funding cut for both Peninsula and the Interlochen Public Library in Green Lake Township.
Both libraries, along with Fife Lake, are independent from TADL but rely on the district's millage for most of their funding and services such as computer support and circulation.
"Leaving is a long-range view, but anything is possible," Sobkowski said. "Things are out of balance as far as I'm concerned."
TADL wants to reduce annual cash payments to the two libraries from about $164,000 to $150,000 because they've both been running substantial surpluses over the last five years, TADL board president Robert Thompson said. Fife Lake, which struggles financially, will see its appropriation jump from $103,000 to $132,00.
Thompson said he's "disturbed" by Sobkowski's comments and said the current arrangement has served the community well for more than 20 years.
Peninsula library could ends its affiliation with TADL, Thompson said, but individual townships can't withdraw from the library district because it was created by Traverse City and Grand Traverse County.
TADL board member Thomas Kachadurian, of Peninsula Township, told Sobkowski most of its residents live at the southern end of the township and use the main library in Traverse City, not the township library.
"For you to suggest your township library could drop out and be better served is badly mistaken," Kachadurian said.
Sobkowski said all her library wants is the same funding it received last year. Over the last five years her library received back about 30 percent of what TADL collects from Peninsula Township taxpayers in library millage.
Donn Gresso, board president of the Interlochen Library, said TADL collected about $251,000 from Green Lake Township for library operations in 2009.
"Shouldn't we expect to receive back what our voters pay in?" Gresso said.
TADL board member Greg Luyt said it's the board's job to best allocate resources across the entire district.
"We don't view the townships as these independent fiefdoms," Luyt said.
Audits show both Peninsula and Interlochen regularly end the year with $20,000 or more in surpluses and both have large fund balances, Thompson said. Peninsula's fund balance almost matches TADL's $457,000 in reserves. TADL's annual budget is $5 million compared to $203,000 for the Peninsula library.
Sobkowski and Gresso both said their libraries' fund balances come from other revenue sources and are set aside should they need to construct new facilities. Interlochen rents space from Green Lake Township and Peninsula is housed at Old Mission Elementary School.
Thompson said he can't justify giving the libraries money they don't need for operations because the district has other needs, including ongoing efforts to create branch libraries in Blair and Long Lake townships.
Interlochen and Peninsula representatives asked the Grand Traverse County board to intervene, telling commissioners the cuts would force "drastic" reductions in library services and hours of operation.
"People out in this area are all madder than heck," said county board Chairman Dick Thomas, who represents part of Green Lake Township. "I don't know what we can do, but I think we are going to find out."
The county board appoints four of the seven TADL board members, and recently agreed to investigate appointing a county commissioner to one slot.
The TADL board said it will hold a study session with the township libraries to further discuss the funding dispute.
