Town of Lisbon Chairman Proposes New Funding Formula for Pauline Haass Library

Link to May 25 Sussex Sun article, "Will the library become a pawn? Lisbon wants library funding switched to usage".

Excerpt: Village officials are looking at a proposal from Lisbon Town Chairman Matt Gehrke that would change the way the two communities fund the Pauline Haass Public Library.

Village President Tony Lapcinski told Village Board members meeting as a committee of the whole May 18, that Gehrke had proposed changing the funding formula from one based on equalized property values to one based on library usage.

Lapcinski said that would change the contribution balance from very nearly 50-50 to about 60-40, with Sussex picking up the 60.

"That's a huge change," he said.

Sussex residents use the library more, he explained, because Lisbon residents who live further from the library have other options, including libraries in Hartland, Menomonee Falls and Pewaukee.

Village Trustee Pat Tetzlaff said that since 1988, when the inter-municipal agreement to fund the joint library was reached, the town has contributed $6.4 million to the library and the village $6.1 million.