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Home My WebLink AboutSubmittal-City ManagerSubmitted Into the public TABLE 6 FACTORS UNDERLYING THE CHOICE BETWEEN REDUCTION OF SERVICES AND INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES IN THE CONTEXT OF FUNDING SHORTFALLS FOR LIBRARIES SEEN, READ OR HEARD ANYTHING IN THE NEWS ABOUT FUNDING FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY OPERATIONS? % Yes FUNDING WILL BE INSUFFICIENT AT THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE. WHICH ACTION DO YOU SUPPORT? Reduce branches, services, hours Increase library portion of property tax Don't know, undecided, can't say All M-D HH All User HHs Non -user HHs 36% 44% 22% 36% 28% 45% 54% 19% 18% 49% 31% 21 %° 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL. 33134 voice: (305) 443.2000 ■ toll -free: (800) 282.2771 • fax: (305) 445-1076 / a/ sa / - u b✓+7; // / - C i 7`c f 192 - r Submitted into the publics record in connection wi Items Pi. 2 on avaN/Yi PtitcON A. "Thompson, Cluj Cilor STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS: AWARENESS OF LIBRARY FUNDING SHORTFALLS AND PUBLIC RESPONSE As of the time the survey data were collected, in the Fall of 2013, awareness of problems in library funding was not widespread. Only 36% of Miami -Dade adults had seen, read or heard anything about problems with library funding — 44% of persons who were in library -using households, 22% of persons who were not. • Accordingly, for 64% of the Miami -Dade County adult householders, the first information they received about funding shortfalls — and the first opportunity they had to think about their underlying choices — was when they were interviewed by BSR for this survey. • Not surprisingly, roughly one out of five respondents could not choose between the "reduce services" and "increase taxes" options. This "undecided" segment accounted for about the same proportion of library users and library non -users in the sample. — Overall, 45% of adults in Miami -Dade households chose to raise property taxes. Not surprisingly, the level of support was higher among households with library users (54%) and lower among households with non -users (31 %). Within the "user household" category, 61 % of the households with children as users chose to increase taxes; 49% of the adult -only user households chose to increase taxes. — Overall, 36%0 of the Miami -Dade households chose to reduce library hours, close branches and cut services. Support for cutting libraries was stronger among non -user households (49%) and weaker among user households (28%). — "Undecided" represent about 19% of respondents overall, 18% among library user households and 21 % among non -users. 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL. 33134 voice: (305) 443-2000 ■ toll -free: (800) 282-2771 ■ fax: (305) 445-1076 01414 Submitted Into the public mcorcl in connec'tio *i r *sni pz.2 on 0/ .C, / ` y Pri ciP1 A. Thompson City -Clerk TABLE 7A FACTORS DRIVING DECISIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES TO SUPPORT LIBRARY SERVICES 111111111111111.11111 FUNDING WILL BE INSUFFICIENT AT THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE. WHICH ACTION DO YOU SUPPORT? EDUCATIONAL LEVEL High School or less Some college/AA College/ post -grad Reduce branches, hours, services 45% 37% 30% Raise property taxes 29% 45% 54% Undecided, can't say 26% 17% 16% 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL. 33134 voice: (305) 443.2000 ■ toll -free: (800) 282.2771 • fax: (305) 445-1076 Submitted Intro the public r_ ".. ; ; --nn ctiorl + i P%'-2 on t____LZd" -F,,.- A. Thompson City -Clot: TABLE 7B FACTORS DRIVING DECISIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES TO SUPPORT LIBRARY SERVICES HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN M-D COUNTY? Reduce branches, hours, services FAMILIARITY WITH LIBRARY Extremely familiar Familiar Slightly familiar Not at all familiar 26% 36% 39% 43% Raise property taxes 58% 47% 43% 30% Undecided, can't say 16% 17% 18% 27% 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134 voice: (305) 443-2000 ■ toll -free: (800) 282-2771 ■ fax: (305) 445-1076 Submitted Into the public record In connsc}ion wi A �,r-i or 2 c of/2 / ? r-cir.1 A. Thompson City Clerk. TABLE 7C FACTORS DRIVING DECISIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES TO SUPPORT LIBRARY SERVICES HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN M-D COUNTY? Reduce branches, hours, services Raise property taxes Undecided, can't say Public libraries in general are outmoded, obsolete and no longer necessa as a public service. Agree 81% Neither Disagree 62% 29% 11% 21% 52% 8% 17% 20% 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL. 33134 voice: (305) 443-2000 ■ toll -free: (800) 282-2771 ■ fax: (305) 445.1076 Submitted do o the public re 7.ar #n connactior on/,.23 vil .p A. Thompson City -Clerk TABLE 7D FACTORS DRIVING DECISIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES TO SUPPORT LIBRARY SERVICES HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES 1N M-D COUNTY? Reduce branches, hours, services 34% Raise property taxes 48% Undecided, can't say 18% Rent 42% 34% 25% 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL. 33134 voice: (305) 443-2000 ■ toll -free: (800) 282.2771 s fax: (305) 445-1076 Submitted Inane public record in cannectio wt - 4sre,P 2 on0/4.,7? }=' ii'•A. Thompbor CitiCterk FACTORS AFFECTING CHOICE OF REDUCED SERVICE OR INCREASED TAXES • The higher the level of respondent education, the more likely he or she would choose to raise taxes rather than cut library services. — Among persons with high school education or less, 45% would choose to reduce services, 29% would raise property taxes, and fully 26% were undecided about the matter. — By contrast, among persons with college or post -graduate degrees, only 30% would chose to reduce services, but fully 54% would raise property taxes. "Undecideds" were only 16% among the most highly educated. • The more familiar the respondent was with the Miami -Dade Public Library System, the more likely he or she would choose to raise taxes rather than cut library services. Among those who were "extremely familiar" with the public library system, only 26% would choose to reduce services, vs. 58% who would choose to increase taxes. Among these people, only 16% were undecided. — Conversely, among those who were "not at all familiar" with the public library system, 43% would choose to reduce services, vs. only 30% who would raise property taxes. Among these people, fully 27°I0 were undecided. • The more that the respondent feels that public libraries are obsolete and outmoded, the more likely he or she would choose to cut library services rather than raise taxes. — Among those who agree that public libraries are outmoded and obsolete, 81% would choose to reduce services, and 11% would raise taxes. Only 8% of this group was undecided on this issue. — Among those who disagree that public libraries are outmoded and obsolete, 29% would choose to reduce services, vs. 52% who would raise taxes. Among people who disagree with the concept that public libraries are obsolete, fully 20% are undecided. • The responses of persons who own their homes vs. rent their homes are almost identical. — If anything, persons who own their homes are slightly more likely to be in the "raise taxes" category than the persons who are renters. 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL. 33134 voice: (305) 443-2000 • toll -frees (800) 282.2771 • fax; (305) 445-1076 Submitted Into the public re ordi in conni ction witt'; it r 11 z on or,. & PrisciN A. Thompson • City Clerk SUMMARY IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM • Baseline perception: Public libraries are well -liked, respected as a public institution among Miami -Dade Countians, among users and non -users alike. -- 62% of the households in the County had an adult, a child, or both use the public library in the last 12 months, and those who use the library are almost always satisfied or very satisfied with their experience. Even those who don't use the library consider it a good thing in the community — 69% of the non -users say libraries improve their quality of life, 91 % of the non -users say that libraries provide an important "safety net" service for persons who don't have home computers or Internet access, and 31% of the non -users would choose raising property taxes over cutting library services if budget cuts demanded it, even if they are not utilizers of library services. Even some non -users who are totally unfamiliar with the public library system would pay higher taxes rather than see the library cut services. • Baseline utilization: Although utilization levels are high — especially in households where children are users — the pattern of utilization is traditional. Public libraries are overwhelmingly used as places where you borrow books, DVDs, other hard -copy materials, and where you have a quiet place to read or work. The library web site is more often used to support the "lending library" concept than as a portal to information. - The traditional service utilization patterns create a perception among some people — mostly among non -users but also among some users — that libraries represent a beloved but obsolete institution. 2121 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134 voice: (305) 443-2000 • toll -free: (800) 282-2771 • fax: (305) 445-1076