Open: 9:00am - 6:00pm
How much do I currently pay for library services?
Property taxes are calculated based on the taxable value of a piece of property, which is typically approximately 50% of the market value. The rate by which property is taxed is called a mill. A millage is the amount per $1,000 of a property's taxable value. To calculate the amount generated from a millage, a homeowner would divide the taxable value of their home by 1,000 and then multiply that sum by the millage rate of a service.
Oakland County sends homeowners assessed and taxable values at the start of the calendar year, but these numbers can also be found online.
In 2025 Rochester Hills, residents pay $1.12 (the original .73 and new .39 mills combined) per taxable thousand dollars. So, using the formula above, a 1.12 mill tax rate on a home with a market value of $200,000 and a taxable value of $100,000 in Rochester Hills would generate $112 in taxes annually. ((100,000/1,000) x 1.12 = $112)
Currently, the City of Rochester does not have a dedicated millage, but pays out of a general fund that is made up of property tax revenue from residents. The rate used as the basis of the contract fee for the City of Rochester is .68.
Oakland Township currently has two dedicated library millages with rates of .4586 and .1143 to pay for library services set to expire in 2029 and 2025, respectively. In order to align the two millages to expire at the same time (2029) and raise the necessary funds for library services, voters in Oakland Township will vote on a new, additional millage of .1412 and a renewal of .1134 on August 5, 2025. Put another way, voters will consider an additional tax of $.14 for every $1,000 of taxable value in addition to continuing the current tax rate for library services. If approved, the combined millage rate will equal .7095 to fund the new contract for service.
RHPL Funding
This graph represents the percentages of total revenue received from all funding sources, including property tax revenue, donations and gifts, county and state funding, and fines and miscellaneous income.
How does the RHPL millage compare to what people in other cities and townships pay?
Library Name | Population Size | Budget | Tax Revenue | Per Capita Funding | Total Millage Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birmingham Public Library | 21,813 | $5,758,509 | $4,172,284 | $191.28 | 1.30 |
Bloomfield Twp Public Library | 44,253 | $9,663,508 | $8,926,108 | $201.71 | 1.85 |
Canton Public Library | 98,659 | $7,962,359 | $7,425,334 | $75.26 | 1.43 |
Farmington Community Library | 95,583 | $7,880,146 | $6,812,731 | $71.28 | 1.46 |
Orion Township Public Library | 38,206 | $3,379,000 | $3,180,600 | $83.25 | 1.31 |
Troy Public Library | 87,294 | $7,211,589 | $6,656,765 | $76.26 | 1.10 |
Rochester Hills Public Library | 76,300 | $7,340,338 | $5,267,497 | $69.04 | 1.12 |
West Bloomfield Twp Public Library | 65,888 | $6,926,075 | $5,981,235 | $90.78 | 1.32 |
*Data obtained from the most recent audited financial statements and millage rates levied as of December 31, 2024.
Are RHPL finances well managed?
Financial audits are conducted annually by varying firms and for a decade have all yielded the same result – clean financial accounting and records management.
Audits and financial information for the past three years are posted on the Board of Trustees page. RHPL includes monthly financial statements as part of the RHPL Trustee board packet to make all transactions as transparent as possible.
The RHPL Board has a fiduciary obligation first, to the residents of Rochester Hills, to ensure proper funding of the library for long-range needs and second, to ensure each contract community is paying an equitable (not equal) amount for library services. If all municipalities paid equal millage rates, RHPL would in effect be operating like a district library, not as a city library, which it legally operates as under Public Act 164.
The new millage rate of .39 for Rochester Hills residents yields the necessary funds for the library to operate and expand services according to 10-year financial projections. The formula proposed in the 2025 library service agreement accounts for the fact that the contract communities do not own the library building nor have a voting member on the board. The RHPL board isolated the operating costs of the library (separate from the infrastructure improvements to the building), determined the per capita rate for operating, and multiplied that by the number of residents in each of the contract communities effectively arriving at an equitable (not equal) amount of funding from each contract community.
Capital infrastructure improvements have averaged 12% of the library budget for the past five years. Since tax revenue accounts for 87% of the overall revenue the library receives, this is the logical portion of the budget that could be tied exclusively to operating costs. This created the model for the “base fee” contract amount. This approach to proportionate funding was referenced when each contract community was briefed about the RHPL millage initiative in May 2024 as part of a larger request to have their council/board approve a millage proposal for their communities. Both contract communities elected not to join in with the RHPL for a ballot proposal for the August 6, 2024 election.
Contract services for Rochester Hills Public Library are paid for out of a general fund for the City of Rochester, and through two voter-approved millages in Oakland Township. The millages in Oakland township are currently 0.1143 mill approved in 1986 and 0.4586 mill approved in 2000.
Why do I pay a different amount?
How are contract communities represented on the RHPL Board?
RHPL is not a district library, it legally operates as a city library under Public Act 164.
The library is legally owned by the RHPL Board of Trustees, which has a base of taxation and governance derived from the citizens of Rochester Hills. It is independent from the Rochester Hills City Council and is not a department of the City of Rochester Hills.
As a city library, communities outside of the voting base can contract with the library, enjoy a lesser millage rate, and still receive uniform library services, but legally cannot seat a voting representative on the board. If RHPL were to operate as a district library, which would allow for a voting member from each community, it would require that the same millage rate be applied uniformly across each municipality in the service area.
Each contract community appoints a liaison to serve alongside the elected RHPL board. Liaisons are seated at the table in each meeting, serve on committees, and are expected to help guide and shape the direction of the library.
RHPL works to build consensus among all stakeholders and has devised a formula to propose the total tax revenue for library funding in line with the 2020 U.S. Census population counts (Rochester Hills will fund 70%, City of Rochester will fund 12%, and Oakland Township will fund 18%).
Why can’t the original contract be used?
The original contract for Oakland Township was agreed upon by all parties under the original millages of .2 (1986) and .5490 (2000) mills (both rates have been reduced due to Headlee rollbacks to .1143 and .4586, respectively). Because contracts for service need to be brought into parity with the .39 (2024) mill approved by Rochester Hills voters, a new contract needs to be issued with new fees for service. Currently, the original contract for Oakland Township has been extended through December 31, 2025, while the Oakland Township Library Board and Rochester Hills Library Board draw up a new agreement.
What changes can I expect to see with new funding?
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An increased budget for new materials (over $1M annually) with a renewed focus on more eMaterials and shorter wait times for popular materials
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Sunday hours year-round beginning June 2025
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Upgrades to the existing fleet of bookmobiles to serve individuals in our 70-square-mile service area and preschool students in local schools, including a new early literacy mobile in June 2025
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More storytimes and programming sessions
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Investment in alternative delivery methods for getting items to patrons faster, such as same-day delivery of holds or books by mail
Further plans are housed in RHPL's strategic plan, which is updated annually and helps guide the direction and adoption of new programs and services. Projects, plans, and ideas are collected and developed to effectively and efficiently use taxpayer funds to expand library offerings.
Who uses the library? Is it still relevant?
The use of the library in our community is high, and is only expected to grow in the future:
1.5 million items
circulate each year
1,150 visitors
per day
553 new library cards
net gain each month on average
20% increase in use
of eBooks and eAudiobooks over the last year
10,816 reservations
for meeting and study rooms
97% of patrons
said they would use the library with the same or more frequency in the next five years