LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Your taxes could be going up after Election Day. On the ballot in Metro Louisville you'll find a proposal to fund local libraries through a tax increase.

Supporters and opponents of the tax hike agree that Louisville needs to spend more money on its libraries.  The dispute is over how to do it.

Backers of an increase in the occupational tax say it would generate $30 million a year to build and improve libraries and set up an independent library board, and they say it's the only way to ensure future monies for books and staff. 

But tax hike opponents say that can all be done within the city's current budget by passing a $175 million bond issue that would be paid off over 20 years without a tax hike.

“What we will get in return for this is an absolutely national-caliber library system that can sustain itself for 100 years,” said Metro Councilwoman Ellen Call (R).

“If this passes that we increase taxes when we’re already a high tax city, and that’s what sends out the ripples out into the country that we wanted to do something, and we raised the taxes,” said Metro Councilman Hal Heiner (R).

Mayor Jerry Abramson has come out in support of passing the library tax.

Web story produced by Jay Ditzer.