$100,000 donation aims to keep Patmos Library doors open
JAMESTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A $100,000 surprise donation is expected to keep Patmos Library's doors open after voters turned down its operating millage in the Nov. 8 midterm election.
The donation, made by Andy and Tracie Wierda, pushed back the library's original plan to close on September 2024, library officials said. However, it's still unclear how long the library can remain open.
- Patmos Library expecting close: Residents voice concerns over LGBTQ+ books controversy
"We will put this donation along with all the other donations that we have received to work in the best way that we can to keep the library open for as long as we can," the library posted in an online statement.
A conservative Christian group urged residents to vote no in the recent election, claiming without evidence the library was grooming children with books containing explicit material and LGBTQ+ themes.
- Election results: Library in Jamestown loses funding, residents opposed to LGBTQ books
When the millage failed, the Patmos Library lost 84% of its $245,000 annual budget, according to library officials.
Unofficial results provided by the Ottawa County clerk’s office show 55.8% of voters rejected the 10-year millage proposal.
