If you go to the Port Chester Library you will find many books that explain that accountability is a concept in ethics with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability, enforcement, responsibility, blameworthiness, liability and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving. As an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in both the public and private worlds.The Books in the Port Chester Library teach us that accountability is defined as "A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct".
So Why Is The Port Chester Library Resisting Being Accountable To The Taxpayers Of Port Chester?
Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla: " I want to make sure it's not a closed system, I think it's a step backward."
Port Chester Library Board President Melissa DeVincenzo and Rye Brook Mayor Larry Rand are trying to get Port Chester to start writing blank checks to the closed library governance system.
Worse yet, the Port Chester Public Library has gotten their attorney's, Turner & Turner of Croton to try and devise a Port Chester Bonding scheme, that appears to be unethical and illegal.
Port Chester Treasure Anthony Silligato had better get advice from the New York State Attorney General Coumo before he allows the Port Chester Board of Trustees to enter into this very questionable bonding proposal.
The Port Chester Library is unaccountable, because Lazy Liz Sadler at the Journal News is still absent from Port Chester Board Of Trustee Meetings, when library issues are brought up.
Further, the hopelessly biased Westmore News to date has refused to write about the mismanagement and the lack of accountability at the decrepit Port Chester Library.
The Westmore Snooze Wont Tell You The Facts, But We Will.....
In New York State There Can Only Be Three Kinds Of Libraries Licenced By The Department Of Education.
1). A Self Sustaining Library Association
2). A Municipal Library That Is Part Of A Town Or City.
3). A School Library
The Port Chester Public Library is a self sustaining library that is owned by the members of the library.
If you have a library card you are a member or owner of the library.
The library charter and bylaws says that the members should be approving and electing board members. That's how things were originally done in Port Chester, before the library went down hill. But things have been manipulated over the years so the Port Chester Library Board Members are no longer accountable to the public.
Worse yet the Library Board now wants to lock Port Chester into an illegal 10 year funding and bonding scheme.
The operating costs will be payed by Port Chester tax payers to the tune of 65% of all of the library's bills. This formula may be reviewed again starting in year four of the agreement.
Basically, the library is asking Port Chester to write out ten blank checks, that the single family homeowners of Port Chester will have to pay.
Worse yet, the library is asking Port Chester to enter into an illegal bonding scheme. Port Chester can not bond to reimburse the library for renovations already paid for. Nor can Port Chester bond for the library's past debts on a building that the village does not own.
If this plan goes through Port Chester Village Manager Bill Williams is probably going to have the New York State Attorney General coming by to pay him a visit.
Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla is right to opposed to the library board members choosing their successors.
Mayor Pilla must not be railroaded by Port Chester Board President Melissa DeVincenzo and Rye Brook Mayor Rand. The Village of Port Chester can not write a blank check to a closed system.
If the Port Chester Library Board will not return the ability to elect Board Members, back to the library card holders, then they will have to give Port Chester the right to appoint 65% of the board members.
Port Chester Tax Dollars Must Be Protected From The Abuse, Mismanagement And Waste that Has Occurred At The Port Chester Library In The Past.
The Port Chester Library is solely responsible for funding itself.
The Village of Port Chester has no legal obligation to give even one penny to the library.
The Port Chester Library may come ask the Village Of Port Chester for support, just like it can ask any corporation or foundation for support.
And just like any funding source The Village Of Port Chester can place terms and conditions on the money it gives to the Port Chester Library.
However, this new agreement will legally obligate to fund an association library as if it is a municipal library.
What the Port Chester Library is asking the Mayor and tax payers of Port Chester to do is to fund them like they are a municipal library, but let them be an association library that is unaccountable to the single family homeowners of Port Chester.
Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla is doing the right thing by seeing that Port Chester has representatives on the library board to protect the interests of the single family tax payers of Port Chester.
Melissa DeVincenzo had better wake up and understand that her library governance proposal of being 100% self-appointment will eventually be a deal killer.
Ms. DeVincenzo's inflexibility up to this point is unprofessional and not in the best interests of the Port Chester Library's members (cardholders) that she is supposed to represent.
If the Ms. DeVincenzo and the Port Chester Library Board continue to be inflexible, then Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla and the Port Chester Board will have to keep the current year to year funding requests in place.
That way the taxpayers of Port Chester will be protected. No Port Chester Tax Dollars, without Library representation. Port Chester has always had two appointed representatives. Now Ms. DeVincenzo wants to shut the Port Chester taxpayers out of the Library Boardroom.
Ms. DeVincenzo is arrogant to to assume that she and her board can appoint the two representative positions, instead of the Port Chester Mayor and the Port Chester Board Of Trustees.
Where are the checks and balances designed to protect the single family homeowners of Port Chester from a Port Chester Library board and administration that has a history of mismanagement?
Port Chester Trustee Dan Brakewood summed up the Port Chester Library's proposal very well....
"The devil is in the details."
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