Hello, my name is Lori Rotterman, and I'm speaking to you today in my role as a Steward of the Dayton Metro Library Staff Association.

Alan Lakein, a well-known author on personal time management, wrote that "Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now."  Looking into the future, the Staff Association sees one potential risk that outweighs all others...the risk of a levy failure.  Our message is to ask you, the Library Board, to bring the future into the present and take action today.

With the Library levy pending, we understand the delicate fiscal situation in which the Library finds itself.  Even during the current year, with tax receipts shrinking due to the region's financial woes, Library revenue is a concern.  But if the undesirable outcome of a levy failure happens, we know that deep staff reductions will be the likely outcome.

In this environment, and facing the real possibility of a full-blown fiscal catastrophe, the Staff Association leadership is puzzled by the Library's choice not to implement a hiring freeze.  Each new employee added to the system increases the complexity of the potential problem.

Some of us have been told that the library has decided to slow the rate of hiring, only hiring for those vacancies deemed "key."  But past Library practices and the contract do provide other tools for temporarily filling these "key" slots such as

· Use of subs,
· Temporary transfers, or
· Permanently filling the role from within, leaving the vacancy in a "non-key" position.

We ask the board to consider a revision of the current hiring policies in light of a potentially disastrous levy failure by implementing an across-the-board hiring freeze until the results of the levy issue are known.  We think this is a case where, by acting today, we can at least reduce possible future problems.

That said, we are still optimistic that the levy campaign will succeed, and are still committed to helping the levy campaign.  Our by-law amendments and policies will be in place after a vote at our Summer General Membership meeting, which will allow us to finally make our pledged financial contribution.

Thank you for hearing the Staff Association's concerns.  We stand ready to work with the library on post-levy planning, regardless of passage or failure.  And we are urging all of our members to work toward the passage of the levy.

Thank you.

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