After a contentious vote at last Tuesday’s St. Joseph County Council meeting, the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library system will receive $4.2 million in bonds. The county council’s debate centered not on whether the library would receive funds but on how it would receive them.
In a 5-to-4 split vote, the Republican majority decided to provide the funds without using taxes. This decision will save property owners $13 a year but will cost the library over $700,000 in interest.
The library plans to use the bonds primarily for improvements to the Bittersweet Branch, including a new roof, replacing the building’s HVAC, and upgrading the library’s lights to LEDs. Dena Wargo, the library’s Director of Operations, stated that the bonds are essential.
“The bonds really allow us to tackle the large projects,” Wargo said. “This includes roofs. This includes any type of building improvements that our operating budget would not be able to absorb.”
The library also plans to renovate the roof of the Mishawaka branch and to build a library garage, which will house a mobile library. The library recently purchased a large van which will be converted into a bookmobile.
Our primary intent is to extend the library’s services to the underserved members of our community,” Wargo said. “There are pockets of patrons that we are just unable to serve due to their personal circumstances. With the bookmobile, we’re hoping to take our services to them.”
Wargo emphasized that the library serves more than just as a place to borrow books.
We’re also a community center,” Wargo said. “We’re all about meeting places and spaces for the community.”
