Two Ferndale Library Millage Proposals on August Ballot for Daily Operations and Building Updates
The Ferndale Area District Library will place two millage proposals on the ballot for the Aug. 4, 2026, primary election. In late February, the Ferndale Library Board approved the language for two proposals: the first would renew the current operations millage at 2.81 mills and add 0.5 mill (total of 3.31 mills) over a 10-year period (2027–2036), ensuring funding for daily operations, including staffing, physical and digital collections, and programming. The second proposal would establish a 0.5 mill capital asset fund for 10 years to support building maintenance, repairs, and technology upgrades.
The library’s current millage, approved by voters at 3.5 mills in 2016 by a 2-to-1 margin, will expire June 30, 2027. That vote replaced an earlier millage that had lost purchasing power due to declining property values and state-mandated tax rollbacks. It allowed the Ferndale Library to expand operations and services, including increasing hours to seven days a week, adding staff, and significantly broadening collections and programming. It also established the Ferndale Area District Library as an independently governed district library, separate from Ferndale City Hall. Because of Michigan’s Headlee Rollback law, the maximum amount of taxes levied by Ferndale Library under the current voter-approved rate is 2.81 mills. This law will also roll back any future voter-approved millage rates for the Ferndale Library.
Since 2017, the library has owned its building, which means a portion of the library’s budget is allocated to facility upkeep to ensure the building remains safe, accessible, and functional for its 120,000 annual visitors. These expenditures support ongoing operations and help maintain long-term planning and service continuity, but several crucial infrastructure elements are now in need of repair and replacement, including the geothermal HVAC, high-speed ethernet, exterior siding, and interior carpeting, most of which was installed in 2010-2011.
Library usage has significantly increased since 2016. Program attendance rose from approximately 9,000 in 2016 to about 15,000 in 2025. In 2025, nearly 6,000 Ferndale residents signed up for or renewed library cards, with many accessing free digital resources; more than 50,000 e-book and audiobook titles were downloaded that year. Outreach services have also expanded, including early and developing literacy programs for Ferndale students and reference services to senior centers. Use of public computers has increased by 34% since 2016.
“The dramatic growth we’ve seen in library usage highlights the need for these millage requests to ensure the library remains a vital resource for all in our community,” said Kelly Farrah, Ferndale Library Board President.
If voters approve the proposals, the library can continue funding daily operations seven days a week while addressing facility and technology needs. If voters do not approve them, the library may be forced to reduce hours and staff, limit programming, reduce patron access to digital borrowing, and defer building repairs.
Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. You can find more info at: fadl.org/millage