The ballot will include two proposals related to funding the Bridgman Public Library. Although both concern library operations, they are separate proposals and will appear as separate questions on the ballot.

This proposal asks voters whether to renew the library’s existing operating millage at a rate of 1 mill, equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value. The millage would be levied for five years, from 2028 to 2032 and supports the continued operation of Bridgman Public Library. The current operating millage of .9419 with the proposed .0581 renewal would return the operating Millage to 1 mill. (See chart A)

This proposal asks City of Bridgman voters whether to restore the City’s library millage rate to 1 mill, equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value. The current authorized rate has been reduced over time by required Headlee Amendment rollbacks. The current Charter Millage of .6919 would return to 1 mill with the proposed .3081 Headlee Override.

Revenue from this City millage is dedicated to supporting the continued operation of the Bridgman Public Library. (See chart B)

The Headlee Amendment is a 1978 addition to the Michigan Constitution that limits state and local government taxation and spending to prevent revenue from growing faster than inflation. Its core provisions require local voter approval for any new or increased taxes, prohibit the state from imposing unfunded mandates on local governments, and cap total state tax revenue at 9.49% of residents’ combined personal income. Additionally, it triggers automatic property tax rate reductions—known as Headlee Rollbacks—if local property values rise faster than inflation across a community, forcing local governments to pass a voter-approved Headlee Override if they need to restore tax rates to their original authorized levels.

• The Rollback Effect: A municipality’s originally approved tax rate might gradually erode over decades. For example, a rate authorized at 5 mills might drop to 3.5 mills via cumulative rollbacks to ensure the local government’s total revenue growth doesn’t outpace inflation. 
• The Headlee Override: If a local government needs to restore its funding to the originally authorized level to maintain public services, it must place a Headlee Override proposal on the ballot. Local voters must then choose whether or not to approve resetting the tax rate back to its original baseline.

The Bridgman Public Library serves residents of the City of Bridgman, Lake Charter Township, and the participating portion of Chikaming Township. 

However, the two library proposals appearing on the November 3, 2026, ballot apply only to the City of Bridgman. Therefore, only registered voters who reside within the City of Bridgman will vote on these proposals. Residents of Lake Charter Township and Chikaming Township will not vote on either proposal.

Approximately 85% of the Bridgman Public Library’s operating budget comes from local public funding provided by the communities in its service area. 

The City of Bridgman’s two library millages together provide approximately 42% of the Library’s operating budget. Additional local funding is provided through service agreements with Lake Charter Township and Chikaming Township. Together, funding from the City and the two townships accounts for approximately 85% of the Library’s operating budget. 

The remaining approximately 15% comes from other sources, including state aid, penal-fine revenue, grants, donations, and other miscellaneous revenue.

If approved, revenue from the two millages would support the continued operation of the Bridgman Public Library. Millage revenue may be used for staffing, utilities, building maintenance, technology, library materials, and other routine operating expenses. 

It also supports services and resources available to the public, including children’s programs, author presentations, community events, physical and digital collections, and the Library of Things. 

Failure to secure these renewals will result in a 42% reduction in the library’s operating funds.Consequently, the Library Board will be required to re-evaluate future budgets, which may necessitate reductions in programming, services, or operational hours.

The Bridgman Public Library offers a range of materials, technology, services, and programs for residents of all ages. 

Physical Collections:

• Books, magazines, and DVDs
• Library of Things, including mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, board and card games, yard games, telescopes, Tonieboxes, Launchpad tablets, sewing machines, metal detectors, record players, and a ukulele

Digital Collections:

• Hoopla: eBooks, audiobooks, movies, television programs, magazines, and music
• Libby: eBooks and audiobooks
• Kanopy: Streaming movies, foreign films, and documentaries

Library and Technology Services:

• Public computers and Wi-Fi
• Printing, copying, faxing, and scanning
• Individual technology-help appointments
• 3D printing
• Study rooms
• Notary services
• Community-room rental
• Community garden

Regular Programs and Community Activities: 

• Weekly early-literacy classes
• Monthly book group
• Monthly genealogy workshops
• Weekly chair yoga
• Weekly library therapy-dog visits
• Interest groups, including Knit & Yarn, Knot Your Average Club, SoulCollage, Open Notebook, Pokemon, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering
• Author talks and special featured programs
• After Hours Movie Nights

” As we celebrate sixty remarkable years, we also begin the next chapter. While we cannot predict every innovation or foresee every challenge, we can choose what kind of community we want to become…a community where knowledge is shared freely…where curiosity is celebrated…where creativity is nurtured…where technology serves people, not the other way around…where generations learn from one another…where every story matters…where every voice has a place…and where every person knows they belong. Increasingly commercialized…and increasingly divided…places that simply welcome people are becoming increasingly rare. The library remains one of those places. You can walk through our doors without buying anything…without subscribing to anything…without proving anything. You are simply welcome. I believe that this welcoming mindset may become one of the greatest gifts a public library offers in the decades ahead. Sixty years ago…this community imagined the library Bridgman would need. Tonight, we can imagine the library Bridgman will need sixty years from now.”  

Excerpt of speech given by Library Director Terri Hebert at the Bridgman Public Library’s 60th Anniversary Event on June 30, 2026.

Terri Hebert, Library Director

Email: Director@bridgmanlibrary.com

Phone: 269-465-3663