Atkinson Voted Against The West Side Library

[iwasthere]

jackie taylor should read the 2010 plan before making assine comments defending her vote. the library system is county-wide that is funded by all property owners in the county. ytown does not wholly fund the entire library for the county. taylor just played politics without having any substance in her vote for the library resolution.

[jay]

Hammer

I agree.  It was a conflict of interest.   Atkinson should have abstained from voting.

I heard Ms. Taylor on the radio this morning.  She stated her reason for voting against the West Side and Brownlee Woods library resolution was that the closing of these libraries was in keeping with Youngstown 2010's shrinking of the city.

[The Hammer]

From what I was told, no other board members said much on the issue other than the verbal sparring match between Atkinson and Catale. I, for one, do not understand which hat Atkinson wears sometimes.

By the way, I was just thinking, since Atkinson is a library board member and the school board resolution is calling for the library board to reconsider closure of the brownlee woods and westside branches, shouldn't Atkinson have abstained from voting on the school board resolution as a matter of a conflict of interest with the library board position?

I think he voted the way he did as an abolute "revenge" factor. I noticed in the vindy article covering the school board action saying Atkinson made a fuss about the school board not causing a fuss back when they northside branch was up for closure. So I clearly think Atkinson, first, should not have voted. Second, there was a clear bias and maybe he thinks he is still 3rd Ward Councilman and not sitting on the school board? I cannot see how any school board member could vote against a resolution urging support of keeping libraries open in the city as centers for resources for city school children.

As for Taylor, I think she just went along to vote with her buddy Atkinson.

[iwasthere]

if that is true shame on richard atkinson, these types of votes do not help the progressive cause for this valley. it shows how immature ind(s) are in their political positions. why did jackie taylor voted against the library resolution?

[jay]

iwas

Repovy is no longer the fifth ward councilman.  Paul Drennen holds that seat now.

I heard someone else speculate that Atkinson's vote was pay back time.

[iwasthere]

did Atkinson lead a fight to stop the northside library from closing when he was council rep on the northside? i cannot understand why any school board member would vote against any library in this entire state of Ohio. was it politics/revenge that Atkinson voted against the resolution and for the closing of the westside library? righetti and repovy(westside reps) voted against a resolution in support of ytown school levy while Atkinson voted for the resolution to support the school levy when he was on council.

[Gal4Books]

Here is what happened at the Library Board meeting yesterday:

Library Trustees Vote on Wage Reduction, Levy, West Library


YOUNGSTOWN (July 1, 2009 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) – The Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County voted to ratify an agreement for a wage reduction with its two unions.  A wage reduction for the Library Director and all administrative staff has already been put into effect.

Trustees approved a motion to accept amendments to the Collective Bargaining agreements with SEIU District 1199 Clerical/Maintenance/Technical (CMT) and Public Librarians (PLAY) that provides for a wage reduction beginning July 26.  Additionally, all shelvers will be laid off effective July 19.

The Board moved to defer action on the West branch library in light of the potential for severe cuts in state funding which make it necessary to focus attention on library services for the entire county.

Trustees also revisited a discussion about the Library's levy, which will be on the ballot in November.  In June, the Board had approved placing a 1.5-mill levy on the ballot, amounting to a replacement of the current 1-mill levy, plus an additional .5 mills.  Tonight, in light of budgetary declines and the potential for severe cuts in state funding, the Board voted to rescind the previous motion and moved to place a 1.7-mill levy on the November ballot. This will appear on the ballot as one issue which includes a 1-mill replacement and an additional .7 mills.

[jay]

The library board voted today to place a 1.7 mill property tax levy on the November ballot.  This is an increase on .7 mills.

West Side residents are in the process of organizing a committee to work on issues involving the West Side Branch Library.  I wish them well.

[Rick Rowlands]

Without providing alternative sources of money to the library to make up for what operating West will cost, Atkinson's vote was the right one to make.  Remember nobody intentionally hates the West side library, but there is simply not enough money to keep it running.

Some of you must live in a vacuum.  Have you heard the news today?  California is issuing IOUS because they don't have a budget.  Ohio is operating on an emerbency 7 day budget.  Several other states are out of cash.  The money is gone folks but many of you don't realize that and are unwilling to make any sacrafice at all.   Its not as if the library board wants you to go without a library at all.  There are two full service well equipped libraries each of which are four miles away from West. Patronize them.  And before you reply back with the BS about them being too far, realize that I live in Hubbard township, five miles from our local library and you don't hear me crying that the sky is falling because I don't have a library at the end of the block.

[The Hammer]

The board president proposed the resolution. Atkinson and Jackie Taylor voted agaisnt supporting it. According to the Vindy, it was asking the library board to reconsider keeping open both the Brownlee Woods and Westside branches open.

[iwasthere]

jay it was a five to two vote for the resolution to support the westside library. who was the other board member that voted against the library resolution?

[jay]

FYI

Richard Atkinson, a library board member and a Youngstown school Board member,  has voted against keeping the West Side Branch Library open.
See the story on page B1 of the Wednesday, July 1 newspaper.