STE. GENEVIEVE – On April 8 2025, the Ste. Genevieve County Library Board will ask local residents to support Proposition L, a ballot measure to secure the future of the library and its services. The proposed increase in the library’s levy—from the current 4.5 cents to 15 cents per $100 of assessed property value—marks the first time in 60 years that the library has requested an increase in its funding structure.
The library’s roots in the community run deep. In 1905, local residents established a Library Club with the dream of creating a permanent library for Ste. Genevieve County. That dream became reality in 1934 when the Ste. Genevieve Library and Museum opened, funded by $1,500 seed money from the Library Club (worth $36,000 today).
In 1960, community support led to the creation of the Library District, aligning the library with the Ozark Regional System. Now, as the library faces a critical funding challenge, it once again turns to the community for support. Library Director Shawn Long emphasized the importance of the funding request: “With recent tax cuts affecting the entire county and impacting our Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), our board realized that relying on external funding for half of our budget is not fiscally responsible. We determined that we must take swift, decisive action to sustain the level of service our community expects and deserves.”
The library’s board and leadership believe Proposition L represents a vital investment in the library’s long-term mission to enrich and serve the Ste. Genevieve community. Neighboring library districts in Missouri average a tax rate of around 20 cents per $100, while the Ste. Genevieve County Library has operated at only 4.5 cents. Proposition L will ensure that library services continue without disruption, preserving digital resources like Hoopla and Libby, supporting new book acquisitions, and funding essential programs. In preparation for 2025, the library has already implemented budget reductions to preserve core services, including scaling back programming and reducing the new book budget by 25 percent.
“We’ve worked hard to trim costs while still delivering on our mission,” Long noted. “But Proposition L is about more than keeping the lights on. It’s about securing the future for our library, so we can continue to be a resource and gathering place for our community.”
Looking ahead, the library team is also exploring ways to further ease the taxpayer burden by expanding the Friends of the Library group, which would allow large-scale projects to be funded through private donations and additional support. Long pointed out that the 2017 tax rate reduction resulted in lost state aid, making it necessary to reallocate funds toward essential infrastructure rather than programs.
“With Proposition L, we can restore state support and ensure our library’s resources go directly to what matters most—serving our patrons and enriching our community,” he said. Proposition L is more than a measure to fund a library—it’s an investment in the community and the future of Ste. Genevieve County.