Board presses city for part‑time library raises after more than a decade without increases

The North Public Library Board devoted a substantial portion of its Sept. 11 meeting to the issue of pay for part‑time library employees, pressing the mayor’s office and finance staff for raises after what board members said has been a decade without increases.

“It’s been since 2012, and that's over 10 years,” a board member said, summarizing the concern that part‑time hourly staff have not received salary adjustments comparable to full‑time, unionized staff. The board said the lack of raises has hurt morale and makes it harder to retain staff who perform public‑facing duties seven days a week.

Board members said they had written to the mayor and spoken at public budget meetings advocating for raises. One director reported that in a recent conversation the city’s head of finance, Lamont, indicated support for increases but told staff the city prefers to handle raises via a special appropriation rather than a rollover.

Board members discussed specific benchmarks and suggested interim steps: one suggestion was a $2 per hour increase for part‑time employees and a staged approach to raise library assistant pay toward an area benchmark of roughly $34 per hour cited in discussion. Members asked staff to continue advocacy with the mayor’s office and to return with budget options the board can support.

Why it matters: Part‑time staff provide frontline services and their compensation affects service continuity and program delivery. Board members said they will continue to press the mayor’s office and city finance to secure funding.

The board indicated continued advocacy and follow‑up with mayoral staff; no binding budget appropriation was made at the Sept. 11 meeting.