I don't defend or criticize the Library Board's situation, but I want to point out that this is a significant issue for other jurisdictions as well. The arbitrary salary cap, which does not exist in most other states, makes it difficult for Minnesota to attract candidates from other areas of the country where salaries are MUCH higher. While I agree that salary alone does not insure top performance, the cap does endure that the pool of qualified candidates we attract is smaller than it would be otherwise. This is not necessarily a good thing. The cap also provides a powerful incentive for jurisdictions to seek devious but legal ways to enhance the non-competitive salaries they offer through perks that can strike the citizenry as more noxious than a higher salary might be.
This has been a significant issue in the selection of school superintendents for a long time. It doesn't surprise me that it's come up in the Library search. Ann Berget Kingfield _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
