Three candidates have filed for two full two-year terms on the Salado Public Library District Board of Directors: Susan Starnes, Nancy Mills Mackey and Theresa Howard.

Salado Village Voice asked the following questions. 

Question 1: What are the values you will bring to the Library board of trustees, if elected, and how will they make an impact? (200 words)

Question 2: Is there an appropriate level/number of staff in the Library? Too many? Too few? If this is identified as being an issue, how can this be addressed by the Board? (200 words)

Question 3: Would you support reducing the half-cent sales tax the Library collects? Why or why not? (200 words)

Question 4: With the mistakes that were made regarding the Library election, which disenfranchised almost 100 potential voters in the district on the first day, will you challenge the election if you lose within that margin? Why or why not? (200 words)

Question 5: What makes you the right candidate right now? (200 words)

Susan Starnes

Question 1:  Some of my core values I will bring to this position are: I hold myself to a high ethical standards of Truth, Integrity and Honor, I consider myself a Team Player; however, I have the courage to share my opinions. I am a self-motivated leader, who will show my loyalty to the Library Board of Trustees and my dedicated service to the Community of Salado and the Library District.

Question 2:  The Head Library Director is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the staff. The Board of Trustees oversee the Head Director. We currently have two full time librarians: the Head Library Director and the Young Adult and Adult Librarian. There are three part-time librarians on staff currently. If there is not enough library staff or too many the decision to hire or down-size would be up to the Head Library Director not the Board of Trustees.

Question 3: The current strategic plan has long range goals for the Salado Public Library (SPL) and the funds received to date are invested to help those long-range goals. If after all financial responsibilities are met and the community asks the Board to look at possible reduction we should of course look and determine what would be in the best interest of the library serving the community. 

Question 4: Regarding the library election in which mistakes were made which disenfranchised almost 100 potential voters in the district on the first day. Would I challenge the election if I lose within that margin; Yes.

  Voters go to the polls to have their voices heard. Due to an election procedure mistake, a number of voters did not get a chance to have their voices heard. The Bell County Office of Election Administration reported almost 100 potential voters did not get an opportunity to have their voices heard. Because of this mistake these voters were disenfranchised. I would be doing a disservice and it would even be unfair to my constituents if I lost and did not challenge the results. Every voter should have a chance to vote. If the majority votes for something or someone, then that something or someone should prevail.

Question 5: My passion is to see our library grow as the community grows. I would love to help this library become a community center where all patrons may find classes and tools to learn new skills, have fun with neighbors and friends at bridge or Mahjong tournaments and maybe even a coffee bar. I envision our library becoming not only a quiet place to read, but also a place where you can find your voice. Our library could become a one-of-a kind facility where all  will find things they never dreamed a rural library could offer here in Salado. The possibilities are endless as the growth comes to Salado and the needs of the community are heard and put into place. I am the person who has the determination to roll up my sleeves, work with the Board, the Staff and District Community to get things done. I will be the newcomer that Salado wants and needs on the Board. 

Nancy Mills Mackey

Question 1: Literacy has been a driving force in my life and my career, which started with me working as a newspaper reporter and then moving to magazine editing, marketing communications, professional fundraising, and freelance writing. When I retired, literacy continued to be important to me, influencing how I spend my leisure time and give back to my community. The things I cherish most in life are the love of God and freedom of worship; the love of my family, many of whom live in Salado; the friendship of my neighbors; and literacy, which I believe gives people the potential to transform their own lives and the world. I am passionate about improving lives through literacy and have demonstrated my passion through more than 25 years of volunteer service to the Salado Public Library and the Temple Public Library. I have already made an impact and want to continue doing so. In Temple, I helped with the multi-million-dollar effort in the early 1990s to relocate and double the size of the library. As Salado Public Library District president in 2017-2018, I appointed the long-range planning committee that began examining the Salado library’s future needs and preparing for Salado’s unprecedented growth. 

Question 2: The library director manages day-to-day library operations and recommends staffing levels according to community needs and state guidelines. Staffing is reviewed and approved by the board during annual budget planning and long-range planning. The Salado Public Library is accredited by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, which sets standards along with the Texas Library Association. TSLAC/TLA uses a formula incorporating population and total service hours to calculate optimal staffing ranges. The standard for a population of 10,000 to 24,999 ranges from one full-time equivalent staff member for every 2,500 to 3,500 people, with at least .25 to one full-time equivalent accredited librarian who has a master’s in library science. The Salado Public Library currently serves 8,000 to 9,000 people with a staff of two full-time accredited librarians, one full-time staff member and two part-time staffers (a total of 4.3 full-time equivalent employees). The library is open 48.5 hours per week, including Saturdays and extended Thursday hours. Paid staffing is augmented by volunteers and Friends of the Salado Public Library. Based on state standards, no staffing issues have been identified at this time. (NOTE: The American Library Association no longer suggests public library staffing standards.) 

Question 3: Reducing the sales tax rate is unwise in view of the anticipated area growth and future demand for library services. As an elected official, I remain open to new ideas for funding the library, but it’s difficult to think of a better way than one where visitors, tourists and passersby on I-35 share the burden of support. The library district was established by voters in May 1998 during a special election, with a .005 percent local sales tax set to provide district revenue. Salado is one of 15 library districts in Texas with public libraries funded by a district rather than a city or county. The library district is not funded by property taxes! Funding comes from revenue on taxable goods sold within the library district’s 134 square miles. If the tax rate was reduced, it would mean only a few dollars in savings for each consumer but a big loss in funding for the library’s literacy outreach. The library district’s sales tax revenue, which totaled $528,967 during the last fiscal year, must be used by law “to establish, equip and maintain one or more public libraries for the dissemination of general information relating to the arts, sciences and literature.”

Question 4: I want to win this election! I have more I’d like to accomplish in completing the library’s long-range plans and ensuring the library remains a vibrant hub of the community. It is disheartening to think that anyone would have been prevented from voting for the candidate of their choice because of a ballot printing omission. I’m not sure what I will do if I should lose the election or if I would challenge the election’s outcome. Since I don’t know what the outcome will be, and I don’t know what margins will be posted by the winners, I will reserve judgment. Should I lose, I will need to confer with my family and supporters and consider my next steps prayerfully. 

Question 5: My values, passion for literacy, experience with library expansion, and leadership, consensus-building, strategic planning, budgeting, fundraising, grant writing and communications skills make me the right candidate right now. My motivation for serving is clear. I have no axe to grind and no hidden agendas. I simply want to promote literacy in the community I now call home. When I was three years old, I’d read every children’s book in our home. A trip to the library (and many trips since) opened a world of possibilities. The library became an extension of my home and family. It nurtured me, gave me an understanding of the world we live in and the imagination to envision a better world. I would like for those in our community — which historically has valued culture, the arts, literature and learning — to discover the same palace of possibility in our Salado library. 

Theresa Howard

Question 1: I have integrity, I’m steadfast, and I don’t mind hard work, all of which are necessary when taking on the task of leading an organization or mission in the right direction. I have a proven track record of service to our community, having  established Legacy Salado Inc., Salado’s newest non-profit, to benefit the entirety of Salado. I, two other board members, and some very much appreciated volunteers work together with the mission of improving Salado for all citizens. If elected to serve on the board, my values, personal characteristics, and work ethic will be put to good use in helping to continue the growth and advancement of our library.

Question 2: Staffing is one of the duties of the library director, and while the board should provide guidance to the director, ultimately, the director should understand the staffing needs of the library. To properly address the matter of understaffing/overstaffing, I would find it prudent to first have the library director review the current staff, their job descriptions, and their performance of assigned duties. Should the director find that a staff member is underperforming, she should meet with that person to find a solution to the problem. Additionally, should the director find that a staff member’s duties are not substantial enough to warrant the position, then for the sake of fiscal responsibility, the director should look at reducing the hours of that employee or eliminating the position entirely. Findings should then be delivered to the board as a matter of checks and balances to ensure that the library is adequately but not unnecessarily over-staffed. A yearly review of staff assignments would be beneficial to identify possible staffing needs or reductions. 

Question 3: Before supporting a reduction in the amount of sales tax the library collects, I think it is important that the library financials be thoroughly reviewed and understood. Currently, the library has several CD investments that total slightly more than $275,000, and while that may seem a substantial amount of money to have in savings, the library does have plans for expansion. Currently, the cost to build or renovate is exorbitant, so one cannot begrudge the library for having the necessary funding to cover or make a substantial dent in their expansion costs. That said, there may be ways to cut library spending that warrants review. For example, is there a better rate for utility providers, cleaning services, lawn maintenance, etc. Additionally, and as I’ve stated in past writings, there are numerous programs / services that I think could be added to the library that would make it more appealing to all ages. Technological advancements such as virtual reality equipment, improved website functioning and services such as being able to acquire a library card online, and live web streaming of programs all cost money to facilitate. Therefore, before stating that a sales tax reduction is in order, I believe more research into this matter is needed. 

Question 4: At this time, I am compiling information and speaking with various entities to understand the mistakes that were made during this election. An educated, logical, and well thought out decision will be made at the appropriate time. 

Question 5: I bring to the table a fresh perspective and a logical, unemotional rationale. I have not been associated with the library for years upon years, nor do I hold an emotional attachment to it that makes me unobjective or resistant to productive change. I am thoughtful and fair preferring to analyze situations so as to come to the best solution, not just the one that I find most preferable. And while certainly passionate about my beliefs, I am also level-headed when it comes to engaging in difficult situations preferring to use reason and logic to navigate and resolve issues as they arise.