How many librarians does it take Collin College's bustling Preston Ridge Campus to answer questions? Five, according to Library Director Vidya Krishnaswamy, who included herself in that number when I called today. The overcrowded Spring Creek Campus Library has a total of eight, which includes 2 part-time librarians according to one I spoke with. About now, you are probably wondering what Wylie's librarian headcount looks like. I bet you can guess.
A Rather Bloated Smith Public Library
So, how many librarians does it take to answer questions in Wylie? Last year I submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for staff titles and salaries. City of Wylie staff sent me an audit list from the 2017-18 Budget. According to the responsive documents, the library has a total of nine librarians with an additional nine support staff under them.
A Tale of Two Libraries
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| Figure 1, Staff and Salaries (City of Wylie 2017-18 Budget) |
The numbers next to the position (see Figure 1) represent monthly salary. I've highlighted all of the full-time salaries for librarians.
I suppose Library Director Rachel Orozco might claim they need that many librarians to cover the days and times they are open. I would suggest that any one of the librarians are qualified to answer questions across all genres, not just their specialized titles. After all, they should hold master's degrees in library science.
Here's an apples to apples comparison:
Smith Public library hours
Monday - Thursday 10AM - 8PM (40 hours)
Friday & Saturday 10AM - 5PM (14 hours)
Sunday Closed
Open a total 54 hours a week
Collin College Preston Ridge Campus Library hours
Mon.-Thurs. 7:45am-9:45pm (56 hours)
Friday 7:45am-5pm (9.25 hours)
Saturday 8am-5pm (9 hours)
Sunday 1-5pm (4 hours)
Open a total of 78.25 hours a week
Has your blood reached the boiling level yet? The college campus meets a greater need, with longer hours, and less librarian headcount. So why the need for such a large librarian-to-staff ratio in Wylie?
Librarian or Camp Director?
After studying the library and the board agenda, it has become crystal clear that Orozco has taken it upon herself and staff to perform activities that the recreation center was designed for. I'm sure the blame falls on both Orozco and Diaz for padding their budgets so heavily with staff, as Mayor Hogue and admin cheered raucously from the sidelines. Here's a glance at the Library Board's March 11, 2019 Agenda:
Perhaps it's no surprise the rec center is doing so poorly. How can they compete with the flurry of librarians-cum-activity directors? Notice the "busy work" designed to make everyone necessary? These are daycare and parks and rec activities, so why are taxpayers paying over $753K in salaries for $12.00 per hour recreational labor? Keep in mind that this is two budgets ago.
This isn't rocket science stuff, folks. Someone at city hall should be paying attention to this. Why does it take a blogger to do the oversight and reporting?
Mayor and City Manger Dupe Taxpayers
OK, so it's probably unfair to say that nobody at city hall catches this stuff. Councilman Matthew Porter has been picking away at the budget along with Councilmen David R. Duke and Toby Wallis, and Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Forrester. Even so, what is requested isn't what is happening. The scenario looks like this:- During the budget work sessions, council directs staff to come back with backup and proof for the budget requests
- The next meeting staff ignores the request and shuffles on to the next department's budget
This is how the Mayor and Manson duo operated for years. Holstead has simply adopted the effort and Hogue-stead are bringing a bloated budget to council for approval at the next council meeting September 10, 2019.
It warrants mentioning here that City Manager heir apparent Holstead has simply become a mini-me of Manson, though I am stymied as to why he has selected to barnacle himself to the old cows who are slowly being put to pasture. That said, it should come as no surprise that staff headcount will increase in this year's budget as it has nearly every year since Hogue darkened our doorstep.
You Can Thank Mayor Hogue
The one constant in all of this is Mayor Hogue. He has served himself for over a decade as mayor. While rotating faces on the council and boards in Wylie changed, he fed at the trough. He is responsible for the city's well-being, not just the staff's.
Still, you would like to think that someone down at city hall or on past councils and boards would catch on through the years. Especially with the handful of self-proclaimed fiscal conservatives that ran and left, or were eventually turned by the mayor. It's not like this is an overnight phenomenon. No. Apparently everyone at city hall is brain dead, or in on the purposeful fleecing of taxpayers as librarians dress as Fairy Princess Thunderpants and bang out some pop art with the tweens.
