Due to years of mismanagement, shoddy bookkeeping,
and a continually dysfunctional board,
the Mount Vernon Library is in serious trouble.
What Is At Stake?
Your tax dollars, $4.7M annually, are being wasted through mismanagement and abuse.
If the library does not renew its license by the end of the year, it may loose the ability to levy taxes.
If Mount Vernon residents do not stand up and say ‘enough is enough’ it sends the message that we are tolerating this behavior by public officials.
- The library operates on a 4.7M annual budget, funded by taxpayer dollars. Remarkably, there have been no independent financial audit reports since 2014.
- A 2023 report by the Westchester District Attorney highlighted “shoddy bookkeeping and mismanagement. This includes the failure to properly log more than 1,400 transactions, amounting to $4.9 million over a 7-year period”.
- In 2022/2023, the New York State Education Department removed all five library trustees. Some resigned before their official removal. The reasons cited were: Failure to submit material for the library’s registration with the state in a timely manner, failure to produce an acceptable annual report for 2020, and failure to maintain accurate financial records and account for spending.
- A former library board president stands accused of sexual harassment, with the lawsuit still pending.
- The library board hired a new library director in 2020 despite the individual having a conviction for misappropriating library resources at his prior employment.
In 2023, a new board was seated, including one trustee, Hope Marable, whom the NYS Education Department previously removed because of neglect of duty.
Sadly, since then, the dysfunction of the Library Board has reached new levels.
- The Library Board has repeatedly and intentionally ignored New York State Open Meeting laws that mandate the public’s right to attend meetings, be given timely notice, and be granted access to documents such as agendas and meeting minutes.
- The Library Board systematically abuses executive sessions to keep information out of the public eye.
- The Library Board has misused taxpayer funds to buy themselves tables at gala events and issued checks without the required two signatures.
- As per Library Policy (p.16), it is the duty of the trustees to report any “incorrect financial reporting, unlawful activity, activities that are inconsistent with Mount Vernon Public Library Policies and Activities which otherwise amount to serious improper conduct”. While several trustees have leaked internal documents accusing each other of misconduct, they have not officially gone on record as outlined in the Whistleblower Policy in the Library Policy (p.16).
- After one trustee pointed out financial and procedural irregularities, there have been systematic efforts to prevent him from participating in the board meetings. This goes from not informing that trustee of ‘special meetings’ to calling the police to prevent him from entering the library.
- One library trustee has accused another trustee of harassment. A restraining order has been filed, which quintessentially bars the accused trustee from exercising his duties as an elected official.
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