The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-12-10, Page 3Media lasted
for Library
coverage
By Alan Rivett
Huron County Library Board Chairman
Tom Cunningham blasted the news media
for recent coverage of board matters,
especially regarding the resignation of
Chief Librarian Bill Partridge, at the
County Council meeting on December 4.
In a statement read during the Library
Board report, Mr. Cunningham said he
and the members of his family have had a
difficult few months because of the ptess
reports surrounding the resignation of lvlr.
Partridge and his handling of the situation.
"It has been a complex problem which
has been made worse by reports having
been written before having the facts,
before having the other side," said Mr.
Cunningham, the Reeve of Hullett
Township.
Mr. Cunningham was referring to,
although he did not state implicitly in his ,
statement, a series of columns written in
FOCUS newsmagazine condemning the
Library Board chairman and the county
administration for their handling of Mr.
Partridge's resignation in September of
this year.
In defence of the county administration,
Mr. Cunningham lashed out against
statements in the press that undue
pressure had been placed on the commit-
tee or on Mr. Partridge.
"I have never once seen the administra-
tion do anything that was not first in-
structed by council. They eat sleep and
breathe county," he said.
Mr. Cunningham said he is unconcerned
• ' with the alleged personal attacks on, him
by the media, as he said he understands
the nature of being a public official.
"As for the personals attacks, I am
elected by the people and whatever is said
about me I understand. I will continue to
work in the best interests'of the county but,
I will not be intimidated. I will continue to
do what is proper. All we as councillors
can expect is fair press, " he said.
Mr. Cunningham said the board has
tried to handle the personnel problem
"most discreetly" and out of the public
eye, but press reports have made it hard to
deal with the problem. He said the county
solicitor, Mr. Murphy, told the library
board not to discuss the matter in public
until it is resolved.
He also said he wished to dispel rumours
in the county that the library was a low
priority in the county. He quotes some
figures from the last 10 year that point to
the contrary.
According to Mr. Cunningham, in 1975,
the total library budget was $167,000 com-
pared to $607,00 in 1985 which represents a
jump of 263 per cent over the 10 year
period. Of the totals, only $109,000 was set
aside by the province in the 1975 budget,
which rose to $177,000 in 1985. The overall
provincial share in the county library
budget is 62 per cent.
In the same 10 year period, the provin-
cial share in the, county's, Board* health ,
went. up 298percent while thecounty, s»are
went up only 33 per cent.
No statement
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1986—PAGE 3
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By Alan Rivett
No announcement was made at the
Huron County codicil meeting on
December 4 regarding the resignation of
Chief Librarian Bill Partridge.
During the reading of the Library Board
report, Library Board Chairman Tom
Cunningham requested council to go into a
closed seesion. No recommendation was
announced after the closed session.
In September, Mr. Partridge, the chief
librtarian for the county for the past 14
years, said he was prepared to resign from
the position over two letters written by six
Huron County Library staff which made
allegations of mismanagement within the
library system.
Since that time, no statement regarding
the resignation has been issued by the
Library Board chairman.
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•
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