Council Approves Mayor's Library Bill, More Trustees Resign

WOBURN, MA — Legislation to change how the Woburn Public Library's leadership is picked moved forward Tuesday when the city council gave it their approval. Hours earlier, much of that leadership resigned, potentially pre-empting the bill.

Mayor Scott Galvin's bill would end the library's unusual lifetime trustee structure, immediately ending the terms of current lifetime members, and give the mayor the authority to appoint and remove the library's director.

As the proposal would change the city's charter, it needs state approval, through a "home rule petition." This process could take months, Galvin noted Tuesday.

But hours before the legislation went before the council, five resignations came from the library's leadership and trustees, potentially reducing the urgency of Galvin's proposal. As previously reported, the library's Director Bonnie Roalsen and Assistant Director Rebecca Meehan submitted their resignations Tuesday.

They were not alone: trustees Mary Hines, Carol Seitz and William Callahan also submitted resignations Tuesday, they confirmed to Patch. Their resignation letters are available at the end of this article.

Seitz and Callahan were serving expired terms and Galvin had already nominated replacements. Of the nine trustees who were on the board at the beginning of the year, only four remain uncontested members: Trustee Judith Kelley had already resigned, while Mayor Scott Galvin has attempted to remove Trustee Jan Rabbitt.

In his resignation letter, Callahan encouraged the council to "walk carefully, thoroughly and judiciously as it reviews the Mayor’s home rule petition."

"The Council would be wise to review the original charter of the Woburn Public Library Corporation and witness how private citizens, with private funds, on private land built the Richardson building and related services," Callahan wrote. "The founders were mindful of the need to remain free from political control and obstruction and established bylaws to assure such freedom."

But the council approved Galvin's legislation relatively quickly Tuesday night. The only dissent came from Alderman Joanne Campbell, who sought to maintain a role for the trustees in the appointment of the library director.

Finding no support for her proposal to have the trustees confirm the mayor's appointments, Campbell joined the rest of the council in approving of the special legislation as written.

The council agreed to discuss Galvin's nominations to replace Callahan and Seitz at their next meeting, in March.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.

The following letter were provided by their writers:

I write to inform you that I hereby resign from my position as Trustee to the Woburn Public Library, effective 6 PM on February 16, 2021.

It has been a rewarding pleasure to have served with a group of dedicated, caring and highly professional Trustees over the past few years. I join with them in noting the vast accomplishments of this Board that will have a long term positive impact on the library services offered to our diverse population.

I would importune the Council to walk carefully, thoroughly, and judiciously as it reviews the Mayor’s home rule petition. The Council would be wise to review the original charter of the Woburn Public Library Corporation and witness how private citizens, with private funds, on private land built the Richardson building and related services. The founders were mindful of the need to remain free from political control and obstruction and established bylaws to assure such freedom.

I have no doubt that the 2 nominees before you tonight are good and honorable citizens of the City of Woburn and will serve the library well. But I remind the Council that the citizens of the city may see these and future appointments as just a maneuver, to rewrite the wishes of the founders and the non profit 503c status they initiated.

My best wishes to the Council as they address these critical issues and best wishes to the Board of Trustees going forward.

Sincerely

William Callahan

Mayor Galvin:

I hereby submit my resignation from my positions as Trustee of the Woburn Public Library Board of Trustees and member of the Woburn Public Library Corporation, effective immediately. I hope my resignation will give you the opportunity to begin to build the more diverse Board, reflective of the changing demographics of the city of Woburn, that you promised at the City Council meeting of February 2.

Very truly yours,

Mary E. Hines

It is with great sadness that I tender my resignation from the Board of Trustees of the Woburn Public Library, as well as the Corporation of the Woburn Public Library. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in both capacities for the past twelve years.

Respectfully,

Carol B. Seitz

The above letters were produced by their writers. The views expressed are the authors' own.