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Multnomah Board Approves Director, But at Lower Salary

The Multnomah County (Oreg.) Board of Commissioners unanimously approved September 18 a $120,000 salary for incoming library director Molly Raphael—$18,000 less than the $138,000 originally offered by Chairwoman Diane Linn.

Linn said she would make up the difference through private donations from “a few generous individuals,” the Portland Oregonian reported September 19. “I made a promise to her, and she accepted it,” Linn said. “Anything less than [the offered] salary exposes us legally.”

The other commissioners, however, didn’t necessarily accept that solution. Lisa Naito and Lonnie Roberts opposed it, saying it sets a bad precedent, while Serena Cruz and Maria Rojo de Steffey said they were open to the idea but with some misgivings. “The question is how long are these people going to want to make these private contributions. Is it a year or two, and then we pick it up?” Cruz asked.

Linn said her goal was to work out a solution everyone could agree on, but admitted she was frustrated that every compromise she offered met resistance. “I’m trying to get everybody’s support, but at some point we have to get the job done.”

During the meeting, Rojo de Steffey also criticized Naito, Roberts, and Cruz for creating a “public spectacle” by publicly threatening to reconsider their support for Raphael. “I believe we may be tainting a qualified candidate’s reputation and her ability to do the job,” she said.

Posted September 22, 2003.

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