Dave,
I agree that repairing the Library HVAC system is an appropriate use of the ARPA funds available to the County. I also agree that the Library headquarters provides valuable services to the branch libraries.
It does seem reasonable to have a discussion regarding whether the City of Wausau should contribute 50% and the County contribute 50% to the HVAC cost since Wausau residents probably receive more benefits from the Headquarters library than do residents of other municipalities. However, since we are getting close to the ARPA fund use deadlines and it seems likely that any agreement to split the HVAC cost would take significant time and effort to negotiate, I probably won’t pursue asking for a delay in the Library HVAC funding.
Sincerely,
David Baker
Marathon County Board Supervisor, District 23
On Oct 27, 2023, at 12:48 PM, Dave Gregersen
Thank you for your prompt response and clarification. As the money, I am assuming is meant for infrastructure, replacing the HVAC system would be an appropriate usage. The Wausau main library provides services that all the branches benefit greatly from.
Thank you again for your attention.
Sent from my iPad
On Oct 26, 2023, at 10:26 AM, David Baker wrote:
Dave,
Thank you for your interest in County Government and for reaching out to me.
Contrary to what you may have read, I am not aware of any proposal by me or any other Supervisor to defund the library.
I am considering a proposal to reduce the 12% library tax levy increase proposed by Administrator Leonhard, but my potential proposal would both increase the library tax levy relative to last year and would also fully fund the Library’s requested 2024 budget.
Do you consider a proposal that increases the tax levy relative to last year and fully funds the requested library budget a proposal to defund the library?
I have also raised the possibility of asking the City of Wausau to pay for 50% of the 2.8 million cost of replacing the HVAC system in the Wausau based library building. All of the municipalities with branch libraries are responsible for the HVAC system in the branch library in their community, but City of Wausau does not contribute any funds toward the HVAC system in the Wausau based library.
Would you support asking the City of Wausau to pay for 50% of the HVAC cost for the Wausau library building or should Mosinee residents be entirely responsible for their library building through their City taxes and also help pay for the Wausau Library HVAC system through their County property taxes?
I am a strong supporter of the Constitution including the 1st Amendment. I don’t believe that I have made any statements or proposals to the contrary. I have asked the Corporate Counsel for options concerning protection of children from harmful material, but exposing children to harmful material is generally illegal and is not protected by the 1st Amendment.
Sincerely,
David Baker
Marathon County Board Supervisor, District 23
On Oct 26, 2023, at 9:10 AM, Marathon County, WI <no-reply@marathoncounty.gov> wrote:
Message submitted from the <Marathon County, WI> website.
Site Visitor Name: Dave Gregersen
Site Visitor Email:
As a constituent of your district I am requesting that you vote no to any proposal to defund the MCPL library. Your views do not represent your community and may lead to costly litigation if pursued. As a proud former employee of the library, I am strongly opposed to strong arm tactics to restrict freedom of speech. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
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