Library board navigates budget fears, legal questions and leadership void

The Big Horn County Library Board had back-to-back meetings on Wednesday, May 20; first their regularly scheduled board meeting at the Basin library, then a jaunt over to the county courthouse for a commissioners’ work session. Topics of discussion carried across both locations included the library director’s position, the upcoming fiscal year, and the issue of library board governance and legal protections. 

After April’s meeting, the library board’s access to county legal defense was further investigated. At last Wednesday’s library board meeting, accountant Troy Butler stated that the board pays a local government liability pool fee, which was recently renewed. It is now reported that the library board as a whole is covered against lawsuits by county legal counsel; individual members are not. This is contrary to former commissioner guidance, which suggested county boards are not covered by the Big Horn County attorney.  

“If another board member or a patron wanted to sue us individually, they can,” Lea Sorenson clarified at the library board meeting.

“(Commissioner Bruce Jolley) also said that’s a very rare and hard thing to do,” replied board chair Nikole Greene. 

“I was already threatened,” Sorenson said. 

This comes following governance questions related to the attempted dismissal of two library board members in January due to inattendance. The board moved to adopt new bylaws in order to allow said dismissal and later learned the former deputy county attorney had used the old bylaws in her determination that the members had not been properly removed, leaving the issue in limbo. When Greene asked for an update at last Wednesday’s work session, it was added to the June 2 regular commissioners’ meeting schedule under an executive session, relating to personnel. 

BUDGET AND DIRECTOR

The commissioners invited the library board to their work session as part of the budgeting process, meeting with each department to determine financial needs. Last year, a 20% cut to the library’s budget - part of reductions made across the county due to property tax changes - resulted in the closure of the Frannie and Deaver libraries, removal of all library staff benefits, and a 200-staff hour cut across the county’s three remaining libraries. Further cuts are expected this year, with Greene worrying about a rumored 50% reduction at the library board meeting, though no final decision has been made. 

At the board meeting, Butler reported the library sat at 9% under budget year-to-date. 

“I think the only thing of note that really stands out there, is just still surprising to me; we have $26,000 more in the bank than we did last April. So, even with all those cuts, with all the adjustments and changes made this year, we’re sitting in a better financial spot than we were a year ago,” Butler said. 

Library Director Tina Ely attributed this largely to donations, both from patrons and through Friends of the Library efforts. Recently, a $500 donation was received from a patron, which will go towards additional staff hours for summer programming. Ely also applied for and received a Carnegie grant to make repairs at the Basin library. A donor from Greybull has pledged an anonymous $25,000 contribution, to be used primarily for the Greybull branch.  The money will go to the Big Horn County Library Foundation and be dispersed as needed. Ely reported they are still in talks as to what that money can be used for. 

“[The donor] was just really concerned about the article she read in the newspaper... about the library staff losing their benefits, and what’s going on with our funding,” Ely said. “I really have to say that article in the paper has brought us in more than one donation. I mean, there’s a little shiny light right there.”

Ely will retire at the end of June, leaving the question of who, if anyone, will pick up her duties in the new fiscal year. Board members and commissioners went back and forth as to whether or not a director is required, referencing statute 18-7-104:

“The board of directors shall appoint a competent librarian who with the approval of the board of directors shall appoint a library staff.”

The board claimed a director is required, citing Wyoming State Library guidance. The commissioners alleged the opposite, with interpretation from Big Horn County Attorney Marcia Bean. Though Bean was not present, she later explained in a statement to the Standard that the statute does not use the term “library director,” only “competent librarian,” and that the board may assign a title to that person as they see fit. 

“For the sake of argument, let’s just say on this hand you don’t have to have [a director]. What could you guys do to facilitate moving forward without one?” Jolley asked the board. He suggested an existing manager could be asked to take on additional tasks. Greene countered that the director’s position is entirely different from the librarian position, requiring grant writing and communication with the board and state library. 

“There’s only one (qualified) librarian at this moment who’s terrified that she’s going to lose her job, because right now Lovell is selling books to pay their electric bill,” Greene said. 

Jolley asked why the library didn’t dip into their contingency fund. Butler reported the contingency fund sits at roughly $290,000, with $60,000 of that needed to support the library through the rest of the fiscal year. 

“You get too much into that, and you run out pretty quick,” Butler said. 

“As we dip into ours (contingency), we’re hoping through elections that we might get some sensible people in Cheyenne, but it’s still going to take a couple years to straighten out,” Jolley said. “I think it’s a two to four year switch around.”

The advertisement of the director’s position was tabled by the library board until budget information becomes available, an interim is expected to be appointed in the meantime.