Queens library president: My $391,000 salary is fair

Posted February 6, 2014 By Eric Burse

Queens Library president Thomas Galante defended his salary in a heated hearing Wednesday called by the City Council in the wake of a column published in the Daily News last week. The article accused Galante of spending lavishly on renovations for his personal office while eliminating jobs and other library services.

At the hearing, Public Advocate Letitia James called Galante the “poster-boy” for high executive pay in New York City.

Galante, who has been president of the Queens library for nine years, testified that he was paid $391,594 last year. By comparison, the mayor of New York City makes $225,000 a year, the schools chancellor makes $220,000 and the MTA chairman brings in $350,000, according to SeeThroughNY.net.

The Queens Library system, like its counterparts in other boroughs, receives both private and public funding. The mayor, City Council speaker and public advocate sit as non-voting members on its board. A group of volunteer trustees appointed by the borough president and mayor votes on operations, new hires and salaries.

At Wednesday’s hearing, Galante defended his salary, noting that when he was selected to be president in 2005, the library’s board of trustees compared executive pay at similar New York City nonprofit organizations such as Brooklyn Law School and the Julliard School.

“I believe it’s a fair salary,” said Galante. “I don’t set my salary; the board does.”

He later added, “the last five years was tough for everyone, including me.” He said he’s trying to survive like anyone else and has two kids to put through college.

That comment irked Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, who later said she was highly offended by Galante’s defense of his salary.

“Don’t you think several of us and others in the city that make less than you do have children to put to through college as well?” she asked.

Public Advocate James asserted that the city’s top library officials are paid too much. Brooklyn’s library head makes $333,000, she said, while the New York Public Library head makes $711,000. (According to the New York Public Library’s tax filings for 2011, then-president Paul LeClerc’s base compensation was $334,914, and his total compensation reached $802,482.) In other cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, top library officials made $290,000 and $191,000 respectively, said James.

The Daily News column accused Galante of completing a $140,000 luxury renovation of his office while two Queens library locations remain closed due to Hurricane Sandy damage. City comptroller Scott Stringer has said he plans to complete a full audit of the library’s finances.

Galante, who testified and answered questions for nearly three hours, appeared with his chief operations officer Bridget Quinn-Carey. Four other library executive staff members, whom the Daily News also accused of having extravagant salaries, were seated behind him and Quinn-Carey. During the hearing they passed index cards and notes for Galante to read or address.

Galante addressed allegations by the Daily News that money used for his office renovation could have been used to reopen two library branches damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

He explained that money being used to reopen Sandy-damaged libraries comes from a different source than money used to renovate his office. “All of the work,” he said, “was subject to the same set of thorough checks and oversights as the rest” of the library renovation projects.

As for the Sandy-damaged libraries that remain closed, Galante said the Arverne branch would reopen in March. The Peninsula branch that remains empty, he said, is on schedule to reopen in November.

Galante’s spokeswoman Joanne King said in an interview that the Daily News piece “was written by an opinion columnist, and far from balanced.”

Queens borough President Melinda Katz testified at the hearing in defense of Galante. “We are here today to reestablish trust between the Queens library and taxpayers,” she said. “At the end of the day the library is held accountable to the taxpayers.”

In addition to his salary, council members requested details from Galante on how library funding is appropriated for different projects, including renovations, and an explanation as to why contract workers have been hired to replace union custodial workers who were laid off.

Another hearing is scheduled for February 12 after the preliminary city budget is released.

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<h1>Queens library president: My $391,000 salary is fair</h1>Queens Library president Thomas Galante defended his salary in a heated hearing Wednesday called by the City Council in the wake of a <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/queens-library-president-390g-shedding-130-jobs-article-1.1592194');" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/queens-library-president-390g-shedding-130-jobs-article-1.1592194">column</a> published in the Daily News last week. The article accused Galante of spending lavishly on renovations for his personal office while eliminating jobs and other library services.
At the hearing, Public Advocate Letitia James called Galante the “poster-boy” for high executive pay in New York City.
Galante, who has been president of the Queens library for nine years, testified that he was paid $391,594 last year. By comparison, the mayor of New York City makes $225,000 a year, the schools chancellor makes $220,000 and the MTA chairman brings in $350,000, according to <a onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/seethroughny.net/');" href="http://seethroughny.net/">SeeThroughNY.net</a>.
The Queens Library system, like its counterparts in other boroughs, receives both private and public funding. The mayor, City Council speaker and public advocate sit as non-voting members on its board. A group of volunteer trustees appointed by the borough president and mayor votes on operations, new hires and salaries.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Galante defended his salary, noting that when he was selected to be president in 2005, the library’s board of trustees compared executive pay at similar New York City nonprofit organizations such as Brooklyn Law School and the Julliard School.
“I believe it’s a fair salary,” said Galante. “I don’t set my salary; the board does.”
He later added, “the last five years was tough for everyone, including me.” He said he’s trying to survive like anyone else and has two kids to put through college.
That comment irked Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, who later said she was highly offended by Galante’s defense of his salary.
“Don’t you think several of us and others in the city that make less than you do have children to put to through college as well?” she asked.
Public Advocate James asserted that the city’s top library officials are paid too much. Brooklyn’s library head makes $333,000, she said, while the New York Public Library head makes $711,000. (According to the New York Public Library’s tax filings for 2011, then-president Paul LeClerc’s base compensation was $334,914, and his total compensation reached $802,482.) In other cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, top library officials made $290,000 and $191,000 respectively, said James.
The Daily News column accused Galante of completing a $140,000 luxury renovation of his office while two Queens library locations remain closed due to Hurricane Sandy damage. City comptroller Scott Stringer has said he plans to complete a full audit of the library’s finances.
Galante, who testified and answered questions for nearly three hours, appeared with his chief operations officer Bridget Quinn-Carey. Four other library executive staff members, whom the Daily News also accused of having extravagant salaries, were seated behind him and Quinn-Carey. During the hearing they passed index cards and notes for Galante to read or address.
Galante addressed allegations by the Daily News that money used for his office renovation could have been used to reopen two library branches damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
He explained that money being used to reopen Sandy-damaged libraries comes from a different source than money used to renovate his office. “All of the work,” he said, “was subject to the same set of thorough checks and oversights as the rest” of the library renovation projects.
As for the Sandy-damaged libraries that remain closed, Galante said the Arverne branch would reopen in March. The Peninsula branch that remains empty, he said, is on schedule to reopen in November.
Galante’s spokeswoman Joanne King said in an interview that the Daily News piece “was written by an opinion columnist, and far from balanced.”
Queens borough President Melinda Katz testified at the hearing in defense of Galante. “We are here today to reestablish trust between the Queens library and taxpayers,” she said. “At the end of the day the library is held accountable to the taxpayers.”
In addition to his salary, council members requested details from Galante on how library funding is appropriated for different projects, including renovations, and an explanation as to why contract workers have been hired to replace union custodial workers who were laid off.
Another hearing is scheduled for February 12 after the preliminary city budget is released.

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