Library's Future Direction - Survey or Sham? Take a Look.

If Second City were to do a comedy sketch on libraries or surveys, they would need to look no further than the Lisle Library's recent survey for inspiration. 

From the initial crafting of the loaded survey questions, to the results announced before conducting the survey, to the covert collection of IP addresses, to the limited and controlled sample size, and finally, to the outright refusal to release un-redacted copies of the survey responses. 

But before the survey, came the set-up.





Here's how the comedy sketch starts:

Opening scene Mayberry Library. Library staff sitting around a conference table munching on snacks paid for by the taxpayers. Employees chatting about the budget cuts and layoffs at the neighboring Mount Pilot Library. People are reading e-books and over 80% of the people in town now own their own computer. We need to think of something, anything, to keep our jobs. The library weeded out a huge portion of the print collection and the place looks empty. All this extra space. What to do? We already tried new furniture and redecorating and we still can't get enough people in here to make sure we keep our jobs.

One young librarian speaks up. Hey, how about we say that we want to convert all the space where we used have print books into FREE meeting space for the taxpayers? 

A senior staffer noted that since people can download their own books, movies and music by themselves from home, we need to find some gimmicks, give-aways and promotional events to drum up some fake demand. 

That's it... we will turn the library into taxpayer subsidized meeting space, maybe add a cafe, run some free park district-type programs/classes and use taxpayer money to publish some propaganda that will convince the town residents that this change is good for them. We will even make it seem like it is their idea! Awesome! Then we will tell them that we need a tax increase and more property to expand and grow into a big community meeting space. 

But how do we make the taxpayers think its their idea? We need a plan.

What if we publish a few press releases about how libraries need to change and grow. If we say if often enough it will become the truth. Let's get some press about how libraries are not obsolete quiet places where people used to borrow print books and seek a quiet place to research and do homework or access the internet, but libraries are now really vibrant places where people meet and talk. Forget about meeting friends for coffee at Starbucks or getting together with your friends and their kids at the playground or a baseball game... The library is the place you wanna be. Don't forget everyone: "vibrant, vital, revitalize, connecting, evolving and big meeting space" now replaces "quiet, peaceful and books." Just string those words together into random sentences. Everyone will just read it and believe its true. Ready, set, go! 

Time for "Press Release #1" Let's go with something touchy-feelly... starting with getting rid of the "quiet" and start pushing the concept of a community center. Oooh... I got it. Let's say the library connects people in the community. We need to convince those taxpayers that we are way more important than schools and churches for people to connect and meet with their neighbors. And don't forget to mention how "wonderful" the employees are so we can get a raise. 

How about something vague and warm and fuzzy like this: 
  
"One of the most important aspects of great public library service is creating opportunities to connect our community to not only our collections but to digital content, to the wonderful professionals that provide a road map for how to use it all and to each other. 










Electronic Surveys

Survey #	Date	Time Started	Time Finished
1	27-Aug-13	3:09pm	3:12pm
2	27-Aug-13	3:16pm	3:18pm
3	27-Aug-13	3:18pm	3:19pm
4	27-Aug-13	3:32pm	3:37pm
5	27-Aug-13	3:27pm	3:51pm
6	27-Aug-13	3:42pm	4:50pm
7	27-Aug-13	5:38pm	5:41pm
8	27-Aug-13	6:42pm	6:48pm
9	27-Aug-13	8:06pm	8:13pm
10	27-Aug-13	8:27pm	8:30pm
11	27-Aug-13	8:53pm	8:57pm
12	27-Aug-13	9:20pm	9:26pm
13	28-Aug-13	4:44am	4:54am
14	28-Aug-13	5:01am	5:04am
15	28-Aug-13	5:14am	5:20am
16	28-Aug-13	5:23am	5:27am
17	28-Aug-13	6:11am	6:15am
18	28-Aug-13	6:17am	6:20am
19	28-Aug-13	6:34am	6:36am
20	28-Aug-13	6:42am	6:45am
21	28-Aug-13	7:26am	7:33am
22	28-Aug-13	7:26am	7:57am
23	28-Aug-13	8:12am	8:17am
24	28-Aug-13	8:02am	8:26am
25	28-Aug-13	8:25am	8:33am
26	28-Aug-13	9:38am	9:42am
27	28-Aug-13	10:11am	10:15am
28	28-Aug-13	10:45am	10:49am
29	28-Aug-13	11:27am	11:32am
30	28-Aug-13	11:34am	11:34am
31	28-Aug-13	12:19pm	12:28pm
32	28-Aug-13	12:53pm	1:04pm
33	28-Aug-13	2:01pm	2:05pm
34	28-Aug-13	2:09pm	2:29pm
35	28-Aug-13	2:36pm	2:40pm
36	28-Aug-13	2:51pm	3:01pm
37	28-Aug-13	3:51pm	3:59pm
38	28-Aug-13	4:01pm	4:11pm
39	28-Aug-13	4:07pm	4:22pm
40	28-Aug-13	5:43pm	5:49pm
41	28-Aug-13	5:49pm	5:54pm
42	28-Aug-13	5:47pm	5:54pm
43	28-Aug-13	6:05pm	6:11pm
44	28-Aug-13	6:35pm	6:47pm
45	28-Aug-13	6:47pm	6:50pm
46	28-Aug-13	7:01pm	7:04pm
47	28-Aug-13	7:34pm	7:45pm
48	29-Aug-13	6:42am	6:45am
49	29-Aug-13	8:39am	8:43am
50	29-Aug-13	8:40am	8:54am
51	29-Aug-13	9:16am	9:20am
52	29-Aug-13	9:17am	9:30am
53	29-Aug-13	9:44am	10:04am
54	29-Aug-13	11:05am	11:09am
55	29-Aug-13	12:23pm	12:32pm
56	29-Aug-13	12:27pm	1:30pm
57	29-Aug-13	4:18pm	4:24pm
58	30-Aug-13	7:02am	7:10am
59	30-Aug-13	1:00pm	1:12pm
60	30-Aug-13	2:27pm	2:31pm
61	30-Aug-13	2:27pm	2:31pm
62	30-Aug-13	4:43pm	4:48pm
63	30-Aug-13	8:45pm	9:00pm
64	31-Aug-13	8:24am	8:41am
65	31-Aug-13	8:36am	8:42am
66	31-Aug-13	8:53am	8:56am
67	31-Aug-13	10:59am	11:19am
68	31-Aug-13	11:43am	11:45am
69	31-Aug-13	11:46am	11:49am
70	31-Aug-13	7:20am	1:29pm
71	1-Sep-13	6:49am	6:52am
72	1-Sep-13	7:26am	7:31am
73	2-Sep-13	9:37am	9:39am
74	2-Sep-13	2:47pm	2:50pm
75	2-Sep-13	6:45pm	7:02pm
76	2-Sep-13	9:50pm	10:03pm
77	2-Sep-13	9:46pm	10:03pm
78	3-Sep-13	5:51am	6:16am
79	3-Sep-13	7:42am	8:00am
80	3-Sep-13	10:13am	10:35am
81	3-Sep-13	11:00am	11:02am
82	3-Sep-13	1:08pm	1:13pm
83	3-Sep-13	5:58pm	6:04pm
84	3-Sep-13	6:02pm	6:04pm
85	4-Sep-13	10:18am	10:21am
86	4-Sep-13	10:18am	10:24am
87	4-Sep-13	6:15pm	6:30pm
88	4-Sep-13	9:17pm	9:21pm
89	5-Sep-13	7:18am	7:26am
90	5-Sep-13	7:25am	7:32am
91	6-Sep-13	11:54am	11:59am
92	6-Sep-13	8:13pm	8:34pm
93	7-Sep-13	9:09am	9:11am
94	8-Sep-13	7:17am	7:24am
95	8-Sep-13	11:16am	11:20am
96	8-Sep-13	6:09pm	6:16pm
97	9-Sep-13	8:46am	8:48am
98	9-Sep-13	10:16am	10:18am
99	9-Sep-13	1:56pm	1:59pm
100	10-Sep-13	7:28pm	7:32pm
101	11-Sep-13	7:43am	7:48am
102	11-Sep-13	8:10am	8:14am
103	13-Sep-13	7:51am	9:19am
104	13-Sep-13	2:17pm	2:19pm
105	15-Sep-13	9:17am	9:21am
106	15-Sep-13	7:47pm	8:45pm
107	15-Sep-13	10:28pm	10:36pm
108	17-Sep-13	11:22am	11:30am
109	17-Sep-13	11:58am	12:02pm
110	17-Sep-13	3:46pm	3:50pm
111	18-Sep-13	4:01pm	4:03pm
112	18-Sep-13	4:11pm	4:24pm
113	19-Sep-13	2:20pm	2:29pm
114	21-Sep-13	11:12am	11:18am
115	22-Sep-13	7:23am	7:29am
116	22-Sep-13	7:00pm	7:05pm
117	23-Sep-13	4:35pm	4:39pm
118	23-Sep-13	5:42pm	5:46pm
119	24-Sep-13	4:51pm	5:02pm
120	24-Sep-13	5:24pm	5:27pm
121	26-Sep-13	8:25am	8:30am
122	30-Sep-13	4:58pm	5:18pm
123	1-Oct-13	6:29am	7:07am
124	1-Oct-13	10:55am	10:59am
125	2-Oct-13	5:49am	5:53am
126	2-Oct-13	8:10am	8:16am
127	2-Oct-13	11:17am	11:49am
128	2-Oct-13	2:05pm	2:08pm
129	2-Oct-13	2:49pm	3:00pm
130	3-Oct-13	10:38am	10:45am
131	5-Oct-13	6:08pm	6:14pm
132	6-Oct-13	2:33am	2:41am
133	6-Oct-13	12:35pm	12:37pm
134	6-Oct-13	2:16pm	2:19pm
135	8-Oct-13	3:01pm	7:22pm
136	9-Oct-13	6:58am	7:02am
137	9-Oct-13	2:33pm	2:42pm
138	9-Oct-13	7:41pm	7:50pm
139	10-Oct-13	12:58pm	12:58pm
140	11-Oct-13	11:32am	11:33am

10 Things Mayor Broda Failed to Tell the People of Lisle, Part 2

Part 2 in a Series. 

Sales Tax Revenue in Lisle has been Falling for Years and Years...

On January 16, 2014, Lisle Mayor Joe Broda gave a 45 minute "2014 State of the Village" address at a Lisle Chamber of Commerce luncheon held at the Hilton Naperville-Lisle hotel. 

The cost for a Lisle resident to attend the midweek event was $35 per person. Taxpayers picked up the $1000 tab for 41 elected officials, government employees and guests to attend the event. About 50% of the attendees had lunch on the taxpayers. 

You can watch the edited version of the speech on You Tube . 

10 Things Mayor Broda Failed to Tell the People of Lisle:

#1. The Village has no master plan to fix the river levees and no stormwater management plan to address a 100 yr flood. LINK to Part 1. 

#2. Sales Tax Revenue in Lisle has been Falling for YEARS and YEARS..

Mayor Broda misled the people of Lisle with his statement at the "State of the Village of Address" when he said the village is in "sound finanical footing" due to "wise financial stewardship."

Broda briefly mentioned the "downward trend in sales tax revenue due mainly to a loss of car dealerships." 

Lets take a look at the "downward trend" in sales tax revenue since Broda took over as Mayor in 2001. 

According to The Village of Lisle's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2013:

• "There was a 3.13% decrease in General Fund sales tax [revenue]."

When sales taxes revenue falls, the Village has to cut spending and/or find other sources of revenue. 

Sources of Revenue: 

FY Ending April 30, 2013                               FY Ending April 30, 2007

36% Other Taxes                   26% Other Taxes
26% Property Tax                  16% Property Tax
20% Sales Tax                     21% Sales Tax
11% Charges for Services          24% Charges for Services
 4% Operating Grants               3% Operating Grants
 2% Miscellaneous Revenue          2% Miscellaneous Revenue
 1% Capital Grants                 9% Investment Income     

For FY 2013 Per the CAFR, Village increased property taxes (and other taxes, but we will cover that in Part #3) to make up the ever increasing shortfall in sales tax revenue. 

• "Property tax revenues increased by 3.31% due to an increase in the tax rate of 9.16% and new construction."(1 year period)

• "The tax rate increased from .3997 in 2010 to .4289 in 2011. The tax rate increased again from .4289 in 2011 to .4682 in 2012." (17.14% rate increase in 2 years; 28.31% rate increase in 3 yrs)

Mayor Broda continues to mislead Lisle residents by telling us that the causes for falling sales tax revenue in Lisle are due to the economy and due to loss of car dealerships. The fact is that sales tax revenues were already falling before "great recession " of 2008 and before the car dealerships started to leave Lisle. 

History of Lisle Annual Sales Tax Revenue (Ref: 2013 CAFR page 104) 

• 1999     $ 6,408,857

• 2001     $ 6,280,953

• 2003     $ 5,523,619

• 2007     $ 4,664,875 (16% less than 2003)

• 2012     $ 3,806,667 (31% less than 2003; 41% less than 1999)

While Lisle saw a 31% drop in the amount of annual sales tax revenue collected from 2003 to 2012, and an additional drop of 3.3% the next year, Naperville reported 30% INCREASE in sales tax revenue from 2003 to 2012, plus an additional 7% increase the next year. (see below)

The old excuse of the economy impacting sales tax revenue just doesn't hold up. The worst of it is that the 2014 sales tax figures (year ending April 30, 2014) will likely be even lower.


Naperville  - New record for sales tax revenue 

The following are excerpts from the City of Naperville's 2014 budget document:

• "All of the City revenue streams linked to the economy continue to show improving trends and have higher then budgeted collections for FY 2013." 

• "Retail sales tax, which is the largest single source of General Fund revenue, has seen a growth of 7% over FY 2012. After falling by 10% during the recession, sales tax receipts recovered to their pre-recession level in FY2012, and FY2013 receipts are projected to set a new record high."

• "With the backdrop of an improving economic environment, Council reached consensus at the first budget workshop in October 2012 to reduce the property tax levy for the third consecutive year.... recognizing the pressure to minimize increases in the property tax rate, Council agreed for third year in a row to reduce the property tax levy dollars."

• "The third levy reduction approved by Council is for a further 2.5% reduction..."

The Lisle Car Dealership Facts:

2013 Infinity of Lisle moves from Lisle to Clarendon Hills. 

2010 Naperville Jeep moves from Lisle to Naperville. (*)

2009 Hummer closes. (*)

2004 Acura moves from Lisle to Naperville. (used car store took over Lisle location)

(*) Lisle had a sales tax rebate agreement with the dealer where a portion of the sales tax was returned to the dealer. 

If these car dealership businesses were doing well in Lisle, they would not have moved out. Sales tax revenues are not falling because car dealerships are leaving Lisle - car dealerships are leaving Lisle because people are not shopping in Lisle. Car dealers will locate where they will sell more cars. Simple. 

How long will it be before Volvo, Honda and Chevrolet move?

             - - - - - - - - - - 

Part 3 of "10 Things Mayor Broda Failed to Tell the People of Lisle" coming soon...  

Preview - Lisle's Hidden Stealth Tax on Residents - Telecom & Utility Taxes 

Broda fails to inform Lisle residents that the single highest source of revenue for the Village is the tax imposed by the Village on our use of telecommunications and utilities such as natural gas and electricity. 36% of the revenue collected by the Village of Lisle in 2013 was from the "other" sources, including the "municipal tax" on your heating bill (5%), your electric bill (5%) and your cell phone bill (6%) and your internet service bill (6%). The higher your bill - whether through rate increases or increases in usage - the more tax you pay to the Village of Lisle.