Problems for Pike library

Makeup of library board is questioned

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA — Losing the referendum on the library tax by a vote of four to one was bad enough, but now the Pike County Public Library (PCPL) is facing a public outcry about the makeup of its board.

To add further to their troubles, the county commissioners support efforts to choose board members who are more representative of the makeup of the county’s population, following the objections of the Taxpayers United group.

Opponents of the tax referendum claim that the president and vice president of the PCPL live in Manhattan with only a part-time residency in the county.

Rich Caridi, chairman of the county commissioners, has commented that if the PCPL does not listen to the county’s and citizens’ requests, the $200,000 contribution the county makes each year to the library might be in jeopardy.

Commissioner Karl Wagner warned not to make a hasty decision on the move, stating that, since the county’s contribution was paid quarterly, the commissioners had time to see if the library board was listening and was willing to comply.

Members of the library board agreed that it would be valuable to have a wider participation of membership but that there was a danger the appointees would be chosen more for political reasons than library-related reasons.

Commissioner Harry Forbes criticized the by-laws of the library that had the result of giving the board a private corporation status with limited accountability to taxpayers. He and Caridi said that the townships should decide if second-home owners should serve on the library board.

“The suggestions of the commissioners to change the board with a wider representation of the township and boroughs may not be consistent with the Pennsylvania code for libraries,” said Tom Hoff, vice president of the library. Depending on whether the commissioners chose the post-1961 form of the library code, the board would have to give up its 501 c 3 status for a new form of organization to run the library with a new board capped at seven members, he said.

“I don’t think they [the commissioners] grasp the subtlety of all that,” he said.

Hoff expressed fear that there is a danger that the library board would be politicized too much. “Libraries are like a university library rather than a government agency,” he said.

On the other hand, it does make practical sense to assure that there is an effective representation geographically and demographically, he said.

Hoff expressed hope that the library would continue its building project for a new library.

“Since 2003, it has been our desire to replace the current building, which structurally is inadequate and not in compliance with the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) law.”

He feared that the two one million dollar grants from the state would be in jeopardy.