Kenny Massey and Eric Magette will retain their seats on the Library Board, the City Commission decided at its meeting Monday.
Newly-appointed mayor Tim Bruce said the board has done a great job with the library, but the city has been clear they need to work on becoming elected.
The city is currently responsible for appointing three seats to the Library Board. Last month former mayor Tim Reazin had suggested two new members be appointed to the board because of commitments they made to ensuring the Library Board became an elected body, a move he said was supposed to happen years ago.
Since then, the Library Board has held discussions on how to become elected.
“I think they’re moving in the right direction,” Bruce said. “I’m confident with them.”
If the board were to make the switch to being elected via the state Legislature, City Manager Zack Daniel said the city will need to enter into a new memorandum of understanding with the Library Board about that process.
The commission unanimously voted to reappoint Massey and Magette.
Massey said in an interview Tuesday that he was glad the process was over and the board could reorient its attention toward the ongoing move to a new location on Main Street.
He said they had talked with an architect and were working to put together a renovation budget.
“Eric and I, and the rest of the board, are ready to jump right back in where we kind of put everything on hold until this was resolved,” Massey said.
Magette had been working with a county commissioner and state legislators to try and move the Library Board to being elected. The legislative session started Monday.
He said the next step was to get an amended bill drafted and find a local state representative to sponsor it so it can go before a committee.
“The hope is they could get it done this session and let everybody move on from it,” Magette said. “It’s a quick turnaround but we’re optimistic we’ll be able to take a good swing at it this year.”
Massey said the board wants to get the matter resolved as soon as possible.
Magette said he recognizes the need for civic leadership changes, but said the current status of the library being mid-move made continuity important.
“I appreciate the City Commission’s trust in me to continue the work we’ve been doing with the library,” he said.
