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Public speakers urge board to pause proposed $60,000 CEO pay increase, prioritize frontline staff
Summary
Dozens of staff, patrons and organizers told the Indianapolis Public Library board the proposed roughly $60,000 raise for CEO Greg Hill is out of step with small raises for frontline employees and chronic facility and safety issues; speakers asked the board to publish performance metrics and delay approval.
Dozens of public commenters at the Indianapolis Public Library board meeting urged trustees to pause a proposed roughly $60,000 raise for CEO Greg Hill and instead prioritize pay and working conditions for frontline staff.
Johnny Hall, a West Perry branch patron, framed the issue as a choice about public priorities: "Every dollar spent by the Indianapolis Public Library represents a choice, a choice about what we value and a choice about what kind of institution we wanna be," he said. Several speakers noted that the board is proposing a roughly 30%–40% salary increase for the CEO while many staff would receive about a 3% raise.
Library workers, union representatives and residents described on-the-job safety and maintenance problems at multiple branches, including persistent HVAC trouble in staff areas and a prolonged Central Library closure after a broken glass panel. Space Park branch employee Morgan Shue described stressful patron interactions and limited staff space, saying the accumulated stress "just builds up and up." Staff organizer Steven Lane, a former board member, urged the board to "table this increase for Greg Hill until the independent compensation review is conducted, publish the performance metrics used to justify this raise, and commit to matching the CEO's raise with a minimum of 5% cost of living increase for all frontline staff."
Several speakers also criticized the hiring process that led to Hill's appointment. Public commenters argued that the proposed increase widens a pay gap between leadership and employees and sends the wrong message to workers negotiating contracts.
Board president Ray Biederman thanked speakers for their comments and said the board does not regard the matter as zero-sum, noting the comments were meaningful and will be discussed. The board did not take a vote on an executive compensation change at this meeting; public commenters asked for additional transparency and a delay until an independent review and clear performance measures are published.
The public-comment sequence ran from the meeting's allocated public-comment block through the end of the comment period; speakers included staff members, residents, labor organizers and former board members. The board acknowledged the feedback and noted it would consider next steps at a future meeting.
