Bashaw’s town council reviewed the separation between library boards and municipal councils during its Jan. 18 meeting.
The request for review came about following the termination of long-time librarian Cindy Hunter prior to Christmas.
After reviewing documentation from the province, Coun. Kyle McIntosh noted that while council appoints the board members, it has no oversight, nor do councillors represent council when they sit on that board.
“The town can appoint two who are also on council,” said McIntosh.
“When we sit at the library table, (we’re) a library trustee.”
Fuller expanded on that, noting that within the Town of Bashaw’s procedure bylaw, councillors who sit on the library board are unable to represent the library when it presents to council.
“Council will not present their committee in council (meetings),” said Fuller.
Organizationally, the municipality sits between the library board and Parkland Regional Library services.
“Municipal councils are kind of in the middle,” said deputy Mayor Cindy Oram.
“We take our direction from the (Municipal Government Act), they take theirs from the Library Act. Parkland oversees and supports Bashaw’s library more than we do.”
Under the legislation, municipalities are required to establish library boards, appoint members to boards, fund local library services, provide library buildings and equipment, set up financial reviews of the library, receive and approve library board bylaws, after they are approved by the library board, and appoint members to library board systems.
“It’s a separate independent cog in the whole system,” said McIntosh.
“We are bound to the Libraries Act for those nine things.”
McIntosh also noted that when it comes to funding, the municipality only has a say over its “lump sum” funding and that it doesn’t have a veto over library budget line items.
“When we appoint those trustees, they are the legal entity,” said Fuller, agreeing with McIntosh.
“We don’t oversee or correct.”
Oram noted that if people are unhappy with how the library was being run, “there is always opportunity to get involved” and make changes.
