UPDATE 10:19 P.M. — Residents in Branson and Hollister’s school districts voted to pass the tax to fund Taneyhills Library.

Unofficial results from the Taney County Clerk’s Office show that 50.49% of voters said yes to the measure, while 49.51% said no.

BRANSON, Mo. — Taney County voters went to the polls for several issues today, including a proposed tax that would publicly fund the Taneyhills Library.

The tax would add 18 cents to property taxes for every $100 of assessed property value for residents in the Branson and Hollister school districts.

“I don’t own property, but if I did, I think I would still be okay with it,” said voter Alison Miller.

The added revenue would make the Taneyhills Library publicly funded, after being privately supported for 90 years.

“It’s time where we have so much technology that we put into this building and we can no longer afford to keep up with the costs, whether it be operational expense, technology,” said Taney County Library Director Marcia Schemper-Carlock.

The library is more than just books for the community, according to Carlock.

“That is a need that we filled in this community,” Carlock said. “So it’s technology, educational programming… so think of it as really a multipurpose center as well as a community center where people can come and gather.”

“School libraries don’t always offer every resource that you need,” Miller said. “So a public library for the community, you can go there also for after school hours and the weekends and get more education from what they offer.”

Some voters say their main problem with this tax levy is there is no sunset on it, meaning there is no time limit for when this tax would end.