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Library board criticizes council for rescinding planned wage increases
Summary
Adam Goos of the Gardner Public Library Board told the Wakefield City Council the board-approved wage increases for staff were later retracted to match a 3% citywide raise, saying the library had budgeted the increases and will continue to raise the director’s pay to improve retention.
Adam Goos, a member of the Gardner Public Library Board, told the Wakefield City Council on Jan. 14 that the library board had approved wage increases for employees and the library director that the council later rescinded to align with a 3% raise granted to full‑time city employees. Goos said the board had budgeted for the increases and had explained them during the budget process.
The library board member said the board intends to continue increasing the director’s wage "until she is at a rate that is appropriate for a community of Wakefield’s size," and to work with the State Library Association and the library director to monitor wages and the broader impact of the library’s services. He urged council members to attend library board meetings and open dialogue with the board and staff.
The library’s appeal came during the public‑comment portion of the meeting. Council members did not take immediate action on the request during the Jan. 14 session; instead, the meeting proceeded through other agenda items including ordinance changes and several votes. The minutes show no recorded motion to revisit the library pay decision at that meeting.
The council’s consent and claims votes proceeded later in the meeting, and no formal instruction to city staff regarding the library wage issue is recorded in the meeting minutes. Absent further council action recorded in the minutes, the library board plans to continue tracking wage impacts and advocating for staff pay and retention.
Looking ahead, library board representatives may seek a future agenda item or follow up with the city clerk or administrator to request reconsideration or provide additional budget detail.
