An open letter from Crown Point Community Library Director, Julie Wendorf
Dear Community Members,
Indiana state legislation, Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), has passed through the Senate and will now be considered by the Indiana House of Representatives. I wanted to share with you its impact on public libraries, and what this could mean for the Crown Point and Winfield communities we serve.
Public libraries are a public service; they do not operate for profit. The Crown Point Community Library relies on public funding, primarily from property taxes, to provide access to information, educational resources, and opportunities many in our community would not otherwise have. With the passage of SEA 1 in 2025, public library funding sourced from property taxes has already been significantly reduced. The addition of SB 8 places our ability to sustain, maintain, and grow services at further risk. SB 8 could risk the remaining library funding.
The Current System
For decades, the Crown Point Community Library’s Board of Trustees has served as the official fiscal and governing body of the library. Board members are appointed by elected local officials (School Board, Lake County Council, and Lake County Commissioners), and strict state statutory protections are in place to ensure every tax dollar is used legally, ethically, and transparently. Currently, Trustees adopt library budgets within the prescribed limits, and must receive approval from our elected fiscal authority to issue bonds, spend funds outside our operating budget from library savings, or any budget increase above the state-established growth quotient.
What SB 8 Changes
New Thresholds: Currently, the state allows the Library’s Board of Trustees to grow the library’s spendable budget by 4.0% for 2026.
Binding Reviews: Under SB 8, if the library proposes a budget increase of 2.0% or more, it would trigger a mandatory “binding review” from our fiscal oversight body, the Lake County Council.
Risk to Library Budget Sustainability: SB 8 does not include existing statutory protections that cap budget reductions at 10% during a binding review, exposing libraries to potentially severe and unlimited cuts that threaten long-term financial sustainability and essential services.
Why This Matters
Simply stated, SB 8 would significantly limit the library’s ability to plan responsibly, maintain our buildings, respond to community growth, and even maintain current services. The Crown Point Community Library strives to support our growing communities with reliable, forward-looking services, and additional financial instability would make that mission far more difficult.
Take Action Now
- Educate yourself. Read Senate Bill 8
- Call or write Rep. Julie Olthoff and tell her NOT to support SB 8: email H19@iga.in.gov or call 317-232-9619
- Call or write Sen Rick Niemeyer and thank him for voting NO on SB 8: email S6@iga.in.gov or call 317-232-9489
- See sample language for calls or emails
- Calculate the value of your public library with the Public Library Value Calculator
- Support the Crown Point Community Library by gifting to the Friends of the Crown Point Library and sharing this message with other library lovers.
Thank you for supporting your Crown Point Community Library,
Julie Wendorf
jwendorf@crownpointlibrary.org
Direct Line: (219) 306-8071
