Library Board members will be soon be elected after the governor signed into law a bill switching the system for how members get selected.
For years, the Library Board has been made up of appointments from the city and township. Under the new law, elections will be held to decide who governs the library.
“This is really good news for our library and our community,” board member Eric Magette said. “It’s been a long process. It’s involved a lot of people, but this really allows us to move forward with the new building and plans to grow our library for the community.”
When Eudora was upgraded to a city of the second class, the city made the library its own entity. As a part of that change, the Library Board members were supposed to become independently elected, but that change was not made.
Last year, when two Library Board members, Kenny Massey and Magette, had terms expiring, they said they wanted to remain in their roles. But then-Mayor Tim Reazin recommended Lynn Reazin and John Cullen to fill the spots, saying he wanted to appoint people who had pledged to make the board elected.
After a few weeks of delays, the City Commission, including a new mayor, chose to reappoint Massey and Magette with the expectation they pursue switching the Library Board to being elected.
Magette has led the charge for the Library Board, working with the help of the city and state representatives.
“We’re pleased to hear the news and really want to give some shine to the Library Board members, especially board member Magette, for, kind of, shepherding it through the legislative process,” City Manager Zack Daniel said. “I want to recognize those efforts, because they’ve been the driving force behind it. So we’re certainly pleased that it’s gotten to this point.”
The bill passed both chambers of the Legislature after a couple of amendments, including placing the elections in odd-numbered years, which aligns with other local elections. Plus, the bill provides a way for citizens to initiate this change without going through the legislature.
“[I’m] super thankful for the library’s hard work on getting this thing pushed across the line,” Mayor Tim Bruce said.
Some Democrats in the Legislature pushed back in committee and voted against the bill, claiming it may infuse politics into the library’s governance. Magette and city officials had said the people likely to run for the board were not politicians, but local community members wanting to help the library. They said the switch would allow for more direct representation.
The city and township will now need to iron out the details for Library Board elections in a joint resolution. Daniel said the resolution would likely come before the City Commission in late April or early May.
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
