ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — Just days after many community members pushed back against the planned closure of Altamonte Springs’ library, there’s a possibility it may stay open beyond September after all.

On Thursday night, city commissioners approved a motion to increase the city’s millage rate in its proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

What You Need To Know

  • Altamonte Springs passed a motion Thursday night that would increase residents’ millage rate for the upcoming fiscal year

  • The motion would allow the city to “add more revenue” to its budget to meet the needs of the Altamonte Springs library

  • The Altamonte Springs’ library was set to close on Sept. 30, but it may stay open

  • The library’s future will depend on whether city commissioners approve the final proposed budget  

Altamonte Springs residents who support keeping the 64-year-old library open packed City Hall for a meeting called by District 4 Commissioner Bob O’Malley.

More than 40 residents showed up and voiced their concerns to commissioners throughout the three-hour meeting.

The vote marked a turning point moment for the Altamonte Springs residents who were there Thursday night.

The increased millage rate would raise enough revenue to allow the city to meet the needs of the Altamonte Springs library after all, officials said.

But that’s only if the city passes the proposed final budget that will be drafted by City Manager Frank Martz. The final budget would go into effect Oct. 1.

O’Malley said he decided to call the meeting because he was receiving calls from residents voicing their concerns about the potential library closure as of Sept. 30. He said that he felt residents deserved to have a say about the future of the library.

Even though the city of Altamonte Springs’ millage rate has remained the same for the past nine years, residents at the meeting collectively shared they would pay extra tax dollars if that means they can keep the library open.

During the meeting, Martz provided residents with an estimated cost of $8.54 more per month that citizens would have to pay in property taxes to keep the doors of the library open.

“For me, I could work a little bit more," said Diane Naas, an Altamonte Springs resident since 1985. "For me $8, it’s, I can handle that. That’s all, it’s like $8. It’s all it is, and then you’re going to close the library over something like that for everyone to work together.”

In response to what residents had to say, O’Malley shared that it was encouraging to see the citizens’ involvement in their local government and having them tell city commissioners how they should be voting when it comes to this issue.

“I was talking to my wife before I came here and I said, 'you know if the library closes, I’m okay with that,' and she told me it doesn’t matter what you think, it matters what your residents, what the residents in Altamonte Springs, what they want,” added O’Malley.

As for the next steps, Martz said he would revise the proposed budget for commissiioners to vote on now that they have decided to boost the millage rate.