Cedar Rapids library campaign raises almost $100,000

CEDAR RAPIDS - The campaign encouraging voters to pass a 27-cent property-tax levy to help operate the library has raised nearly $100,000 so far.

Derek Johansen, campaign treasurer and a member of the library foundation's board, released a list of contributors to Our Library, Our Community. He said the campaign's goal is to raise between $110,000 and $120,000. The total now is $95,750, which includes donations from The Gazette Company, which owns The Gazette, and Chuck Peters, who is president and chief executive officer of The Gazette Company.

Gary Streit, president of the library foundation's board, said Wednesday that the campaign is using the funds for a variety of tasks, including public relations help and a push through social media to reach library supporters.

He said it is always difficult to persuade voters to approve an additional tax. If approved, property owners in the city would be taxed 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, the most allowed by state law, to help pay for library operations beginning July 1, 2016.

'The effort expended by a lot of people is going to help in the long run,” Streit said. 'If you can't fight for something like this, why bother fighting for anything?”

Early voting is underway for the Nov. 3 city election, which features four City Council races and the library levy vote.

The largest contributors to the Our Library, Our Community campaign are the library foundation, which has contributed $20,000, and five entities that have contributed $10,000 each: United Fire Group, Diamond V Mills Inc., CRST, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and Transamerica.

Other donors, according to the campaign, are:

The Gazette Company, $8,000

OPN Architects, $5,000

Bankers Trust, $3,000

Charles Peters, $2,000

Gary Streit, $1,500

Dakota Red Corp., $1,000

Paulson Electric, $1,000

Joe Lock, $1,000

Jon Bancks, $500

Nyemaster Goode, $500

Susan Corrigan, $500

Doug Elliott, $250

Randy Ramlo, $250

Harriett Kalinsky, $200

Jade Hart, $200

Matt Wilding, $200

Charity Tyler, $100

Cindy Monroe, $100

Joe Conway, $100

Melanie Stahlberg, $100

Susan McDermott, $100

Barbara Rhame, $50

Derek Johansen, $50

Hilery Livengood, $50

l Comments: (319) 398-8312; rick.smith@thegazette.com