Woodbridge Library, Another Tax Sinkhole?

So many people, at least some of the older generation, grew up using a library and the services and knowledge of librarians.

Today, unfortunately, librarians have all but disappeared from schools (see:  http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/06/26/are-school-librarians-ex...) and the children and the teachers in those schools will be all the worse for that fact.  But BOE's, at least in Woodbridge, can find money, even from self-serving, self-aggrandizing elected municipal official who dole out municipal tax dollars to curry favor with specific voting blocks, for lighting, turf and other less important school property enhancements.

Few residents in Woodbridge Township may realize their public library is all but a totally autonomous entity in a township that I joking refer to as MacBelieve Land!

The library has its own Board of Directors, who are appointed by John McCormac and seconded by his town council.  Together, they hire librarians, control which librarians are assigned to which libraries, who gets paid what, and how municipal tax dollars are spent.  Of course, all this is done under the watchful eye of the mayor, and without nepotism or crony-ism by all concerned.  Just like the Woodbridge BOE.

Okay, so much for the MacBelieve!  Now look at the information one concern citizen wants the public to know:

Start:

This info is from 2011 and may not be precise, but it's pretty close. Cecile McGrath has a high school diploma and she makes more than most of the professional librarians with Master’s Degrees.  Her Civil Service title is "Principal Account Clerk" and she is actually just the library Bookkeeper.  

Cecil McGrath’s salary in 2011: $93,660 http://php.app.com/NJpublicemployees12/details.php?recordID=284506

John McCormac’s salary in 2011: $81,716  http://php.app.com/NJpublicemployees12/details.php?recordID=284239

Marianne Horta's salary in 2011:  $78,816

http://php.app.com/NJpublicemployees12/details.php?recordID=284123

The Library Board meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Book Examination Center on the 3rd floor of the Main Library, except for Aug and Dec when there are no meetings:

Meeting dates for 2013 are as follows:

January 17, 2013

February 21, 2013

March 21, 2013

April 18, 2013

May 16, 2013

June 20, 2013

Library Board of Trustees

 Name

Appointed

Expiration

Bob Bonsignore

1/01/12

12/31/16

Edward R. Mullen

1/01/12

12/31/12

Frederick W. Silbon, Jr. (Secretary)

1/05/99

12/31/13

Barbara Ciocci

1/04/00

12/31/14

Mary M. Mayerowitz “Peggy” (President)

1/04/00

12/31/14

Isha Vyas

1/01/01

12/31/14

Ray Zirpolo

1/11/11

12/31/15

Carol Eberhardt Treasurer
(Supt. Of Schools Alt.)

6/15/05

Indef.

Amanda Truppa  (Mayor’s Alt.)

1/05/10

Indef.

Kristen Mullen, daughter of Library Trustee, Ed Mullen was just hired as a Library Assistant at the Main Library at the Oct. 18th Board meeting.

There is a clause in the original Policy Manual of the Woodbridge Public Library which prohibits the hiring of relatives of Trustees and Administrative Personnel due to ethical concerns.

End

Well, it does appear that libraries are still a place of learning, in more ways than one!