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Maybe he saw that the commission had a majority of votes to increase the library tax rate last fall.
Some of that was found by budget office staffers when they found, upon review, about $8.5 million that had been charged to the Northeast library system’s operating budget that should have been charged to the capital budget. But what would have happened if they weren’t looking for that? Could there be other financial “typos” and scrivener’s errors causing millions to be miscategorized?
Read related story — Libraries saved: Carlos Gimenez performs another magic trick
He and other commissioners have wondered if maybe we pay our librarians too much. The average salary for a librarian last year was $63,000, which is slightly above the national average of $55,370 in May 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ladra might have the mayor and his pocket commissioners question, instead, if maybe we pay too many attorneys too much or too much to our mayoral staff or too much to multiple department directors, some of whom are paid twice — through their pension and again in salary when they are rehired — and some of whose duties appear to overlap.
But while Gimenez turns a deaf ear, Ladra believes that there are a majority of commissioner with perfect hearing. Commissioners Bruno Barreiro, Barbara Jordan, Rebeca Sosa and Xavier Suarez have publicly said they want to support libraries. Ladra thinks that Commissioners Audrey Edmonson, Jean Monestime, Dennis Moss and Sally Heyman — whose new library in Aventura would likely become a warehouse if not funded properly — would vote for an increase in the library tax rate.
Commissioners Javier Souto and Esteban Bovo have dug their heels in, like the mayor, on the “no new taxes” line. Commisioner Juan Zapata told Ladra he won’t vote for any tax increase while he still sees so much waste everywhere and that he doesn’t trust the numbers. Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz is more concerned with the 230-some police positions that are being eliminated and wants to see a full restoration of fire rescue services. And Vice Chair Lynda Bell is in a heated race to keep her seat, so — like she has done before when she sees the writing on the wall — she may vote for a higher library tax if she sees the votes are already there. I mean, it’s not like her opponent — who has championed the library cause — would use it against her. But Ladra also hears Bell is being pressured by Gimenez — who can help her with fundraising and votes — to stand their ground.
The current rate only brings in about $30 million, since the mayor lowered it to hike the general tax rate without having to increase the overall tax rate and letting the public know — wink, wink. Because libraries 
don’t have other sources of revenue, the tax rate is the only thing that they can survive on.
Ladra agrees that storefront libraries in spaces that pay market rent should perhaps relocate to government offices or facilities — maybe even the commissioners’ own district offices. And that the task force didn’t try hard enough to find creative secondary sources of revenue in a world gone mad with branding and sponsorship opportunities. We have a captive audience of thousands. You’re telling me nobody wants to reach them?
But these are long term solutions that need time and brain matter — and out-of-the-box thinking from whoever the new director is — not the quick fixes (read: slash and burn cuts) that Gimenez prefers.
Barreiro told Ladra he might even move to increase the library tax rate when commissioners meet on July 15 to look at the budget together for the first time and set tentative tax rates.
Keyword: Tentative. Commissioners need to know that they must give themselves some wiggle room because they can always go down, but they can never go up.
That’s not bold. That’s just smart. Because he’s been listening to the people.
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