Bay County Library System asks voters to renew the millage that supplies about 86% of its operating money

BAY CITY, Mich. — The Bay County Library System’s main source of money is on the Nov. 3 ballot. The county-wide proposal would renew the library’s operating millage at up to 1.7399 mills for six years, 2026 through 2031.

The ballot language says the millage is a renewal of one that expired in 2025 and estimates it would raise about $6,690,559 in its first year, 2026. The money would go to operating, maintaining and equipping the library system.

The library says the millage supplies about 86% of its operating revenue and pays for its four buildings — the Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library downtown, the Sage, Auburn Area and Pinconning branches — plus the Bookmobile, collections, technology, programs and staff. The proposed rate is lower than the rate voters approved in 2020 because of Headlee Amendment rollbacks, the library said, and it describes the proposal as a renewal, not a new tax.

The library estimates the cost at about $11.58 a month for a home with $80,000 in taxable value. Taxable value is generally about half or less of a home’s market value.

If the millage is not renewed, the library says, it would face “significant layoffs and building closures beginning in 2027,” affecting hours, staff, programs and outreach.

Elsewhere on Bay County ballots. Depending on where they live, some Bay County voters will also decide:

• A Freeland Community School District bond of up to $21.2 million for building remodeling and site work, including stormwater drainage at the Freeland Learning Center playground. The district estimates 1.984 mills in 2027 and an average of 1.849 mills over up to 20 years.

• A Pinconning Area Schools bond of up to $19.9 million to add an elementary wing to Pinconning Middle/High School and remodel the building, with an estimated 1.60 mills in 2027 and a 2.45-mill average.

• For voters in the Saginaw Intermediate School District, a 10-year renewal of 0.9962 mill for career and technical education, plus a 0.0038-mill Headlee restoration, for 2028 through 2037. The district estimates it would raise about $7.08 million in 2028.

Bay City voters will also choose a city commissioner in Ward 1, where Laura Kubit is the only candidate listed on the county’s official candidate list.

Monday, Oct. 19, was the last day to register to vote online or by mail. After that, residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency, through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Statewide early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, and polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can check their registration and see their sample ballot at Michigan.gov/Vote.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026: The Oct. 19 deadline to register to vote online or by mail has passed, so the voting details now say so. Residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Sources:
Bay County Clerk, “November 3, 2026 Official Candidates & Proposals,” Sept. 15, 2026 (library millage language and revenue estimate, Freeland and Pinconning bonds, Saginaw ISD CTE millage, Ward 1 candidate), https://www.baycountymi.gov/Documents/Departments/Clerk/Elections/Election%20Notices/November%203,%202026%20Official%20Candidates%20&%20Proposals.pdf
Bay County Library System, “Millage” (share of revenue, buildings, cost example, renewal rate, consequences if not renewed), https://www.baycountylibrary.org/millage
Michigan Department of State, “Absentee voting” and election calendar (registration, early voting and absentee deadlines), https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/absentee-voting
Photo: Asher196, “Sagelibrary.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), cropped; derivative under the same license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sagelibrary.jpg

Bay City · Election 2026 coverage

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