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Council directs manager to post library director position amid petition and funding deadline
Summary
After residents presented a petition with more than 250 signatures and council members warned the borough risks losing more than $40,000 in state funding, the council directed the borough manager to post and begin the hiring process for a library director; the motion passed 5–4.
Morrisville — Council members voted on April 21 to direct the borough manager to post the Morrisville Library director position and begin the hiring process immediately, following an extended public‑comment segment in which residents described the library as essential to walkable access for families, seniors and students.
Pamela Scott, a 15‑year resident and local small‑business owner, told the meeting she organized a petition that she said had more than 250 signatures asking the borough to post and fund a paid head‑librarian position. “The Morrisville Library is my daughter’s self‑declared happy place,” Scott said, urging the council to act to preserve daily, walkable access and the library’s programs.
Why it matters: Council members said the borough has been given a county deadline — cited in council remarks as Sept. 1 — to have a hiring plan for a director or risk losing state library funding allocated for 2026. Multiple council members argued a dedicated full‑time director would also enable better grant writing and program planning.
What the council decided: The motion to direct the borough manager to post the library director and begin the hiring process passed by a 5–4 roll call. The borough solicitor and manager will follow the borough code: the manager administers hiring, but council’s vote signals an explicit expectation and priority.
Details and context: Residents and council members stressed the library’s role beyond book lending — free computer access, children’s programming, seed‑sharing and museum passes — and said losing staff had stretched part‑time employees thin. Council discussion referenced previous efforts to contract a consultant and a multi‑month delay; proponents said hiring a director is a more direct route to stabilizing and expanding services.
Next steps: Borough manager will post the position and proceed with the hiring process per borough personnel practices. Council members asked the manager to consider a full‑time director and to prioritize applicants able to pursue grants and restoration of children’s services.
Representative quote: “We were given a deadline by the county of September 1st to have a plan in place to hire a director or we will lose over $40,000 in state funding,” a council member said during debate.
