Library donations to Irvin Mayfield jazz project questioned

[Miguel]

Irvin Mayfield's jazz orchestra to repay New Orleans Library Foundation

NEW ORLEANS -- One week after WWL-TV exposed questionable payments of public library donations to Irvin Mayfield's New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the high-powered NOJO Board of Directors agreed Tuesday evening to give back the entire amount it received from the New Orleans Public Library Foundation.

NOJO Board Chairman Ron Forman, the powerful head of the Audubon Institute, told WWL-TV that NOJO now must raise more private donations to be able to reimburse the Library Foundation for its contribution to the new $10 million New Orleans Jazz Market building that just opened last month in Central City.

...NOJO's last public audit showed it had a $246,000 deficit on June 30, 2014, so board members -- including Forman, Mayfield, TV journalist Soledad O'Brien, political consultant Mary Matalin and others – will have to scrounge up close to $1 million more before the money can be paid back.

..."Whatever the amount is, we will reimburse it," Forman said. "And we will reimburse the whole amount."

Forman also said he and the board expect to be able to raise the money quickly.

Late Tuesday evening, NOJO issued a written statement on its decision, strongly suggesting that the gift from the Library Foundation was completely justified but should be returned in order to "move forward":

"NOJO and its Board of Directors are disappointed in misperceptions about the appropriateness of a relationship between a public library and a musical heritage, cultural and performing arts center. However, it is critical to our Board and to our artists to remedy any misperceptions and we unanimously chose to aggressively move forward today, return the dollars from the library foundation and immediately refocus on our mission to put jazz musicians to work, celebrate our culture, and travel the world promoting New Orleans and performing jazz music."

Both Mayfield and Markham left the Library Foundation board in the last few weeks, although Mayfield is considered an "emeritus member," according to the new foundation board president, Bob Brown.

http://www.wwltv.com/story/news/local/in.../27208463/