MCPL director resigns, senior health benefit program reinstated

After months of controversy, Monroe County Public Library Director Cindy Gray has resigned, effective Aug. 31. \nStephen Moberly, president of the board of trustees, made the announcement at a board meeting and public hearing on the 2008 budget. At the same time, he also announced a plan to reinstate the over-60 benefits program the board had decided to cut in August 2006. \nThe plan, which offered 90 percent medical coverage for employees aged 60-65, was initially cut in an effort to save money and prepare for 2012, when it was expected to lose a considerable amount of tax funding. \nInstead, a library committee examined the benefit program and found that keeping it would save money, Chief Financial Officer Bonnie Estell said at the meeting. Assuming that every employee eligible retired at age 60 and that every new hire was paid the entry-level salary, the library could potentially save $202,000 by 2017, she said. \nThe number is a far cry from the $293,359 loss that, as recently as last week, the library said it would experience if it kept the benefit program. That number didn’t account for the amount of salary saved by these employees’ early retirement, trustee Randy Paul said. \n“This is the first time the board has looked at both sides of the equation,” Paul said. \nPaul has been an outspoken critic of the benefit cuts since he joined the board in early 2007. He said for months he has been stressing that the over-60 benefit plan is a cost-saving measure and only now has the board listened. \n“There is one difference, and that is Cindy Gray,” Paul said. \nPaul said he believes the policy was initially set up as a vindictive attempt by Gray to “clean house” of employees she believed were working against her. He said any time he tried to bring up the positive aspects of the benefit program, Gray consistently shot down his arguments. That the benefit reinstatement and her resignation were announced the same day “was not a coincidence,” he said. \n“It is really hard to find the truth if you are close-minded to the facts. But finally tonight they did,” Paul said. “It is not that complicated – it is a good way to save money.” \nReinstatement of the benefits package came with one caveat. The health benefit package was “capped” at $5,000 per year, Estell said. However, Paul said most people would never reach that sum. \n“It is more of a symbolic cap than anything else,” Paul said.\nThe board did not previously consider this option because no one had presented it, Moberly said. \n“I appointed a working group to see if there was a sound fiscal solution and this is what they came up with,” he said. \nThe working group included Paul and Estell, among others, Moberly said in the meeting. He said there is no way to be certain of how much money the library will save in the future because of the program. \nHowever, Estell said the library will not lose money as long as new employees are given a salary at least $5,000 less than the retiree they replace. Since most people taking retirement are at the top of the pay scale, the library would likely save considerably, Paul said. \nChildren’s services assistant Kathy Starks-Dyer said she was glad to hear the benefits had been reinstated, even though her own retirement is far-off. \n“I certainly plan to be here when I retire, and I would be dependant on the health care benefits I get from working here,” Starks-Dyer said. “I hope it is there for me.” \nIf all goes according to plan, the program should be there for employees like Starks-Dyer in the future. Estell said the only way the program would not work would be if salaries did not rise incrementally with years worked at the library. \nStarks-Dyer said Gray’s resignation didn’t come as a surprise.\n“I’m more surprised that she didn’t resign sooner,” Starks-Dyer said. \nPaul, who is at the library five days a week, said he believes Gray’s resignation will greatly boost morale at the library. He said the issues during the last 12 months have been “distracting” and have polarized employees. \n“What we need to do is focus on serving the community,” Paul said. “Cindy Gray has been so distracting, but now we can get back to doing what we do best.” \nAn interim director will be announced on Saturday, Paul said.