The Alpena County Library board had wanted to ask county voters to renew the property tax that funds library operations and approve a tax increase to help the library cover increased costs and take on some renovations and improvements at the library.

Last week, however, the library board decided to only seek a renewal of its operating tax and not ask voters for a tax increase.

We think that’s the right decision.

Voters will on Aug. 6 decide whether to renew the library’s 0.7462-mill property tax for operations. That tax costs the owner of a $100,000 house about $37 a year, the owner of a $200,000 house about twice that.

The library will not ask voters to increase that tax to 0.9 mills, which would have cost the owner of a $100,000 house about $8 a year, the owner of a $200,000 house about $16 a year.

With inflation forcing residents to pay more for groceries, gasoline, and almost everything else, there’s a good chance voters might balk at the idea of a tax increase, even if it adds up to only a few dollars a year.

Voters already will be asked to OK a tax increase for Alpena County and to renew several property taxes across the county, and might not be in the mood to keep giving.

The library had originally considered asking for the renewal and increase in one ballot proposal. If voters said no, that would have left the library with not only no increase but no property tax for operations, either.

So it is wise to seek only the renewal. Voters might be OK with continuing to pay what they already pay for the library, so the library can at least keep the lights on.