The levy, if approved, would cost $9.70 per year for the owner of a $100,000 home and would generate more than $740,000 annually, according to the Clark County Auditor’s Office.
Levy money would primarily go toward maintenance and some improvements to the Heritage Center at 117 S. Fountain Ave. in downtown Springfield, Clark County Historical Society executive director Roger Sherrock said.
If the renewal levy passes, more than 80 percent of the money would cover maintenance costs of the more than 100-year-old Heritage Center, and the remaining revenue would cover costs to update equipment used for exhibits, such as television displays.
The building is a local landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic sites. The large stone-and-brick building originally served as City Hall and then was a marketplace for several years. Springfield’s museum regularly hosts educational events, and includes permanent and rotating exhibits that trace the region’s history.
The museum needs several repairs, Sherrock said. Sidewalks around the building are shifting, and some vestibules of the building are also settling into the ground, for example. The historical society is also eyeing maintenance for the building’s towers.
Much work has already been done to maintain the building through the original levy, passed in 2017, Sherrock said. Money generated for the museum went toward work on the building’s gutters and HVAC system and other building maintenance.
The Heritage Center opened as a historical museum in 2001.
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