The Indianapolis library board has approved a raise for CEO Gregory Hill, increasing his annual salary to $265,000. The decision was made during a meeting on June 22, despite opposition from about a dozen people who spoke out against the raise during a public comment period.

Concerns from Library Workers

Some speakers, including library workers, expressed concerns that the raise would make it seem like the board doesn’t care about other employees. Last year, the board approved a 3% raise for library staff. Hill’s new hourly rate of $127.40 represents a 29% increase from his previous rate of $99.03.

Michael Torres, president of the library workers’ union, said, ‘I’m not here to say that the CEO doesn’t deserve a salary raise, but the $60,000 has shocked us all.’ Torres had previously questioned the board’s transparency in deciding Hill’s new salary.

The board’s president, Ray Biederman, acknowledged the negative feedback after the public comment period, saying, ‘It doesn’t go unnoticed, what you guys say. And we really appreciate it.’ The board ultimately approved Hill’s raise with a 5-1 vote.

Original reporting: Mirror Indy — read the source article.