Mahomet Library Referendum Misses by 70 Votes

A referendum to issue bonds to assist with the cost of expanding the Mahomet Public Library failed by a total of only 70 votes in the primary election held March 17th. With 2,702 people voting, the final tally was 1,316 (48.7%) votes for the proposal, and 1,386 (51.3 %) votes against. With some mail-in ballots still to be counted, the outcome is unofficial, but library officials have said it is highly unlikely that the remaining mail-in ballots would change the outcome.

Had the ballot passed, the library would have been able to add:

• A 7200 square ft. Children's Library, with a dedicated teen room

• A community room over twice the size of the existing Edgar Room, able to be divided into two rooms for smaller meetings.

• A covered outdoor patio to be used for outdoor programs and shaded seating.

Many residents were confused on Wednesday morning as several media outlets announced that the measure had passed. It appeared that they were viewing early returns passed before the ballots from the Lake of the Woods polling place had been recorded.

A crowd squeezes into the library Edgar Community Room to see a magician in June of 2025.

Library Director John Howard posted the following message today regarding the referendum :

"The referendum to expand the library came up short by approximately 70 votes out of 2,700 cast. (Several media outlets initially reported the measure had passed — we wanted to correct that record.) We are very disappointed.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you who voted yes, and even those who voted no but remain friends of the library in other ways. Volunteers on the project, the Board of Trustees, and my staff all deserve thanks as well. A tremendous amount of work went into planning this project.

So what is the next step for the library? The Board and I will take a short break, then start working on answering that question. As our community continues to grow, the need for library services will only increase, and we remain committed to serving our community to the very best of our ability within our current space. We believe that an expanded children’s library and more program/study space remain in our future.

It is a privilege to serve this community. Please keep coming out, using the library, and supporting us every day. A great community deserves a great library.

Again, my thanks.

John"

Library attendance and usage have been increasing at levels of 8-10% per year over the last several years. The two fastest growing elements of the library are program attendance and the use of digital materials using apps such as Libby or Hoopla, according to the library. The library is also one sponsor of this community website, along with the Village and Chamber of Commerce.

More information about library services and resources can be found at www.mahometpubliclibrary.org.