CUMBERLAND — Allegany County commissioners said because they want balanced representation for the library system’s board of trustees, they won’t approve two proposed nominees.
Library system board members Sue Rudd and Artie Travis don’t plan to renew their terms, County Administrator Jason Bennett said at a work session Thursday.
“Per state law, the library makes a recommendation to the commissioners,” Bennett said. “The commissioners are to … take action on them.”
Since the library system in the past few months experienced problems including a budget shortfall, “we thought it might be important to … let you guys talk through it a little bit first before there’s any move made,” he said.
Bennett said the library system submitted two names to fill the upcoming vacancies on the seven-member board.
Once the issue makes it to a county meeting agenda, the commissioners may either approve or reject the suggested nominees, he said.
The county library system has branches in Frostburg, LaVale, Westernport, Lonaconing, South Cumberland, and on Washington Street in Cumberland.
“It would be nice to have (board members) from different regions,” Commissioner Creade Brodie said.
Commissioner Bill Atkinson agreed.
“There should be one (board member) from every region … and then one at-large member,” he said.
Commissioner President Dave Caporale suggested the vacant seats be filled in a process similar to the county’s Board of Education.
“We have the pleasure of appointing whom we choose out of the applicants for the (BOE),” he said.
“That’s a pretty major position, but yet something like this, (the library system provided) two names for two positions. That gives me a little heartburn.”
Caporale said libraries in Westernport and Lonaconing “would probably want to have some representation on the board.”
Given those circumstances, “I would be a no vote for either of those positions at this point,” Caporale said.
County Attorney T. Lee Beeman said if the commissioners reject the proposed appointments, “the library board would have to send you more nominees.”