Walking into the Mary C. Brown Public Library, the smell of ink and aged bindings is all-consuming, tinging the air with a childhood nostalgia only books can invite. With loving quotes adorning the walls, including a call to “build a better world,” the Lake Butler institution somehow makes its 9,000 square feet structure feel like the 1,400 square foot room it was just 36 years ago.
The Union County Library serves a population of just over 16,000, standing as a community hub to join children, adults and seniors, and to encourage literacy and involvement.
“I feel like we're really vital for the community,” Priti McNutt, the library’s director, said. “There's not much here in Union County because we're so small and we're rural, and I feel like a lot of people look to the library for, you know, information. Not just information, but things to do.”
But a Nov. 3 Florida ballot amendment proposing the increase of property tax homestead exemptions to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 stands to significantly reduce the library’s funding.
Union County residents have approved a half-mill ad valorem tax every two years since 1988 — giving the library 50 cents for every $1,000 of their property’s taxable value. The latest referendum during the Aug. 18 primary elections passed with an 80% vote.
Now, McNutt, who already “wears all the hats” at the library, fears giving up her insurance and her three employees to part-time status.
“We’re all worried about Nov. 3,” she said.
The law and its impacts
Amendment 3’s purpose, according to UF Warrington College of Business Research Director Bill Hughes, is to reduce the property tax burden placed on Florida residents.
Under it, homes valued below the $150,000 and $250,000 caps would not be taxed, and those over would only be taxed on the value exceeding those thresholds. It will also decrease the rate at which the taxable value of homes can increase from 10% to 5% per year.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Palm Beach press conference last month the amendment will return money to homeowners dealing with rising costs, adding local governments have benefited from tax increases and should instead learn to control spending.
“Taxpayers are the bedrock of the communities,” he said.
Hughes said all counties statewide will see reduced property tax revenue, though some more dramatically than others. In Union County, about 38% of property tax revenue is from homestead properties, facing possible reduction.
“For many houses, that's a major portion of the value, and would be a significant reduction in the basis on which the taxes are calculated,” he said.
The amendment originally included a plan for a state account from which counties could draw to make up for lost revenue, but the provision was removed. Now, counties will need to fill gaps using their own budgets if it passes, and Hughes believes there is a high probability it will, given the benefits many see in tax reductions.
“That’s a great positive for a lot of people,” he said.
For McNutt, such predictions are concerning. Already, she said the Mary C. Brown budget is tight, with state aid from grants paying her salary and a portion of the building’s maintenance.
Property taxes pay her employees’ salaries and any remaining bills.
Local ad valorem taxes for Union County’s 2026-27 proposed final budget make up about 86% of the library’s local budget, contributing $208,374 to the $243,020 total. If the amendment passes, Kellie Hendricks Rhoades, the Union County clerk of the circuit court & comptroller, said the library can expect to lose about $80,000 in revenue from local taxes.
While the referendum’s will would persist, Rhoades said the pool of ad valorem tax revenue would be smaller.
“It would be a significant impact,” she said.
Though acknowledging the library’s importance, Rhoades said the county is more concerned with making up for revenue loss in essential functions, such as law enforcement and emergency medical services. The library is tasked to live within its means, and it would be up to its management to decide what services are cut or reduced — a reality McNutt has considered.
Programs requiring full-time staff would need to be cut, and most concerning is the potential loss in children’s event services, she said, which she will fight to keep even if she runs them herself.
“I have no money to just spend for fun, unfortunately,” she said.
Voters react
For people like Serena Kent, a cut in services would be devastating.
“I think it would be horrible," she said. “A lot of people would have a loss in that.”
Kent enjoys going to the Union County Library for book sales, craft nights and the occasional senior social, which she attends with her friends. Overall, Kent said the library is a positive aspect of the community, and especially in encouraging children to ditch devices and read.
Kent voted in favor of the Aug. 18 referendum. She has heard concerns from her peers over the library’s future — sentiments she shares.
“Most importantly, don’t let it close,” she said. “That’s a big loss for the community.”
Patrick Maxwell, a Lake Butler pastor, echoed Kent’s worries, saying he is a big proponent of the library because it gives people the opportunity to read books and use internet services they may not otherwise afford.
To him, asking for a favorite part of the library is like asking a parent to name their favorite child.
“The things you gain from being a part of the library community is very important for me and my family,” he said.
Like Kent, Maxwell voted for the referendum, saying he believes in the return on investment in paying taxes toward it. Regarding Amendment 3, Maxwell said he is “not a fan,” and he hopes local lawmakers support the Union County Library if it passes.
“[If] you take away something like that, which is kind of like a beacon in a lighthouse in our community, I think it’ll have a huge effect,” he said.
The build-up
If the amendment passes, McNutt said she will fight to keep her peers employed and to be mindful of the institution’s spending.
Now, she holds onto the certainty that state revenue will remain stable, though she acknowledged it won’t be enough to maintain the library. In the meantime, she will search for grants and keep doing business as usual, putting trust in her community to be supportive come Nov. 3.
“I think if it does happen, I feel like people will come together and do what we need to do to keep the library going or figure things out,” she said.