The DeKalb City Council agreed Monday night to hold the 1992 DeKalb Public Library property tax levy at its 1991 level to allow necessary roofing repairs to prevent water damage from the upcoming spring rains.

By keeping the tax levy at its 1991 level, the city will commit $26,400 to the library from its Tax Increment Allocation Fund to complete building repairs.

Joann O’Malley, director of the DeKalb Public Library, said $22,153 from the fund will be applied to the roofing repairs that will cost a total of $81,736. A building capital fund already available to the library will provide the rest of the money.

The repairs will begin early this spring and will be completed by the end of April if the weather permits, O’Malley said.

Furthermore, she said the repairs will remain exterior and will not affect public use. O’Malley said some of the repairs will involve work on the skylight and gutters.

Future repairs, however, will hinder public use.

“The next fiscal year some plastering and painting will be done inside the library that will affect public use,” O’Malley said.

Prior to the release of any monies by the city, the library formally must abate that portion of its calendar year 1993 property tax levy equal to the $26,400 in exchange for the city’s assistance.