TWP: ESTABLISH FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY H.B. 6681: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
House Bill 6681 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative David Law
Senate Committee: Commerce and Labor
Date Completed: 12-13-06
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Charter Township Act to allow the township board in a charter township to establish and maintain a free public library if the township had not been located within the service area of an established free public library for the previous five years. To establish the library, the township board would have to adopt an ordinance or pass a resolution as provided by law. The board would have to file a copy of the ordinance or resolution with the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries within 10 days after adoption or passage.
The township board would serve as board of directors for the library and would have final authority over all library matters. The board would have to appoint a library advisory committee, consisting of seven members holding staggered three-year terms, to advise the board regarding the library's development, operation, and maintenance. The board could fill vacancies on the committee and could remove a member with or without cause.
The township board would have to do all of the following:
-- Establish the rules and regulations for the operation of the library.
-- Appoint a library director and authorize the hiring of qualified assistants.
-- Establish a separate and dedicated library fund.
-- Pass any necessary ordinances governing the library's operations.
The bill specifies that a free public library established and operated under it would be a public library for the purposes of the State Aid to Public Libraries Act.
Proposed MCL 42.13a Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no effect on State or local revenue. In those townships that created a library under the bill, the bill would increase local unit expenditures by an indeterminate amount, depending upon the operational costs of the libraries.
To the extent that any library created under the bill would be eligible for State aid, the bill would reduce the revenue received by other libraries in the State by an indeterminate amount.
Fiscal Analyst: David Zin
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb6681/0506