City council appoints new Lynn librarian

LYNN – The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Theresa Hurley as the city’s head librarian.Hurley will assume her new duties on Feb. 1. The current head librarian, Nadine Mitchell, is scheduled to retire the day before.”I’m really excited about the job,” said Hurley, a 15-year municipal employee and former head of the children’s book section of the Lynn Public Library. “I’m going to miss the children, but I’ll still go down to visit them.”The council also passed an emergency preamble to ensure Hurley’s appointment is processed within the required timeframe.Councilor-at-large Daniel Cahill objected in principle to the $90,000 salary attached to the librarian’s position, since it reflects the amount paid to a department head. According to Cahill, the library should not be a separate municipal department since its branches are closed.Mitchell’s outgoing annual salary is $90,000. Hurley will be paid $88,000 for the first three years while on probation until she obtains tenure. After that, she will receive $90,000, according to Mitchell.Cahill said an incoming librarian should be paid about $43,000 and more as they gain experience. He noted that Salem’s head librarian is paid $73,000 and Lowell’s $72,000, but each has more than 30 years on the job.”I’m not going to hold up the appointment,” Cahill said. “But this is something we should be talking about. I know it’s uncomfortable, but we have to do it.”Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr and Ward 6 Councilor Peter Capano disagreed, saying such discussions are more appropriately conducted in private with the personnel director and other pertinent city officials.As Cyr put it, the council’s job is to vote on the budget, not decide who gets paid a certain salary. Capano echoed that sentiment, adding that potential job candidates should not be publicly grilled by the council, especially if their salaries are dictated by existing labor contracts.”We’re paying way too much,” Cahill said. “It’s beyond their control. But I am going to pursue changes. Somebody with 33 years of experience should be paid for that experience.”