Albany Agrees To New Rules For System
Hours before the state legislature’s session ended, lawmakers struck a deal to pass legislation reforming the Queens Borough Public Library’s governing body and requiring greater public oversight over the nonprofit system.
As previously reported, the legislation was formed in the wake of scandals surrounding Queens Library’s president and CEO, Thomas W. Galante, who reportedly raked in a six-figure salary and approved an expensive office renovation while the system reduced services and cut staff due to losses in government funding.
The bill passed the Assembly unanimously on June 10, but up until last Thursday, State Sen. Tony Avella-a member of the Independent Democratic Conference, which shares control of the State Senate with Republicans-blocked a vote, claiming similar legislation which he introduced had more stringent standards.
Following a week of negotiations, Avella and Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry agreed to bring the legislation to a vote before the State Senate. The accord included provisions which Avella sought requiring Queens Library’s Board of Trustees to hold annual public budget hearings and disclose information subject to the state and city Freedom of Information Laws.
Unofficially, the bill passed the State Senate 59-1, with upstate member Greg Ball being the lone dissenter.
“There was no question that strong and swift action had to be taken to address the clear mismanagement within the library,” Avella said in a statement. “Assembly Member Aubry and I have also agreed that we will work together in the next legislative session to revisit this issue and put together additional reforms to further regulate the Queens Borough Public Library operations in the best interests of the people of Queens.”
State Sen. Michael Gianaris, who created the bill with Aubry and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and sponsored it in the State Senate, was “thrilled” it passed overwhelmingly and anticipated its enaction if and when it is signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“Once enacted, my bill will rein in the excesses revealed in recent reports and provide a long-term blueprint for an efficient, transparent and accountable library system of which every Queens resident can be proud,” Gianaris said. “I am thankful for the way just about everyone in Queens came together to fight for these much-needed reforms, which says a lot about our borough’s desire for transparency and accountability when it comes to public funds.”
“The reforms contained in the bill are needed to ensure proper governance of the Queens Library and it would have been unfortunate if we would have had to wait a year for those reforms to gain legislative approval,” Katz stated. “The bill is a common-sense measure that would dramatically improve the governance and oversight of the Queens Library and help guarantee that it remains one of our borough’s most treasured institutions for many years to come.”
“I applaud the state legislature for successfully bringing more accountability and transparency to the Queens Public Library,” City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley added in a statement issued Monday, June 23. “With this reform bill, we will help ensure our tax dollars are being spent properly and give the public access to information they deserve to know.”
Should Cuomo sign the bill, the mayor and Queens borough president would have greater authority in appointing and removing members of Queens Library’s board of trustees. Additionally, trustee terms would be reduced from five to three years; all members would be required to either reside in Queens or operate a business in the borough.
The board would also be restructure its administrative committee which makes decisions on hiring or terminating ranking personnel. The legislation also includes requirements by library staff to provide greater financial disclosure and limits any outside employment opportunities.
As previously reported, Aubry, Gianaris and Katz formed the legislation in April amid the controversies surrounding Galante, who reportedly earned a nearly $400,000 annual salary and an additional six-figure compensation for consulting work he performed for the Elmont Union School District in Nassau County.
Several agencies-including the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office-launched investigations into Queens Library’s use of capital funding.
The city Department of Design and Construction (DDC) froze $20 million in capital funds for the upcoming fiscal year pending the outcome of these inquiries.
Earlier this year, Queens Library’s Board of Trustees aggravated lawmakers by rebuffing calls to force Galante into a leave of absence. The board also agreed to provide Stringer with financial documents according to guidelines in an agreement reached with then-City Comptroller Alan Hevesi in 1997; Stringer sought full financial disclosure from the library, and filed a pending lawsuit asking the court to rescind the 1997 agreement.
Shortly after the legislation was introduced, Queens Library officials deemed the bill redundant, claiming it already had reforms in place to better manage its finances.
