Library Board Backs Budget After Dispute, Elects New Chair

Churchill County Library trustees voted to install a new board chair and vice chair for the coming year and then approved their 2026–27 budget last week after a tense discussion over timing and process.

The Library Board of Trustees met Jan. 22, where Dr. Sue Segura immediately moved to pull the budget from the agenda, saying she’d received the $800,000 proposal at 10:58 that morning and hadn’t had time to review it.

Staff noted that all trustees received the same packet earlier that day. Deputy District Attorney Wade Karner warned that if the item were removed, the board couldn’t discuss the budget at all. He advised leaving it on the agenda so members could question Library Director John Hong and still decline to approve it.

Several trustees said they wanted that discussion.

“I would also like a discussion of the budget today, not necessarily approval of it,” trustee Maddie Serna said, calling it “a definite move in the right direction so we can at least get some of the questions out in the open.”

The board voted 3–1 to approve the agenda as posted, with Segura opposed.

As trustees took up their annual election of officers, Segura moved to replace current chair Jessica Rowe with trustee Ryan Swirczek as chair, saying it was time for “someone else” to have the opportunity.

“Nothing against how Jessica does the meetings, but there comes a time, I think, when we need to give somebody else an opportunity,” Segura said. “Ryan’s background is different than mine and Jessica’s… I’d like to see somebody else be the chairman.”

Serna questioned the fairness of the process and said she believed Rowe had done “a very good job” and wanted to continue to support her.

“This doesn’t seem quite fair to me,” Serna said, asking how nominations and voting are supposed to work.

On a voice vote, trustees approved Swirczek as chair. Rowe voted in favor and said she would “support Ryan in this role.” The board then unanimously elected Serna as vice chair, with Segura praising Serna’s “intelligence” and commitment to the community.

Trustees also discussed the first module of a new board training program, which outlines the responsibilities of library boards in governance, finance, and services.

Segura said the material made her realize “we have a lot on our shoulders” and noted she had done additional research.

The conversation briefly turned to open meeting law when Segura pointed out that three board members had attended a recent artificial intelligence program at the library, which constituted a quorum. Karner said whether that raised concerns would “depend” on whether board business was discussed and recommended following up individually.

“As long as we’re there just listening and hearing what the library has to offer, and not swapping notes amongst us, we should be okay,” Rowe said.

In his director’s report, John Hong highlighted new staff, programming, and planned changes to the library’s physical space.

He reported that the Churchill Library Association has approved a competitive grant project totaling about $25,000, with a 10 percent local match. The project will fund whiteboards, displays, shelving, and other tools to revitalize program space and support story times, art exhibits, and hands-on activities.

The library also recently purchased a Nintendo Switch system at a discounted rate to support teen programming, including upcoming video game tournaments. John said the equipment is being piloted with teens and emphasized that the games are nonviolent party-style titles meant to build positive relationships.

Microsoft Office has been installed on all public computers using low-cost perpetual licenses, giving patrons access to Word and PowerPoint. Public computers will be relocated to improve supervision and create a more defined teen area and a quieter adult reading space.

Upcoming programs include baby story time in February, a monthly “Bad Art” program that uses recycled materials for journaling and crafts, and the use of Penworthy grant-funded kits designed for both seniors and STEAM learning.

Segura urged staff to push more publicity through local media and social channels.

“Everything we can do and tell about the great job that’s going on at our library, I think, will increase attendance,” she said.

When trustees returned to the budget item, Hong explained that he had worked closely with the county comptroller’s office and built the proposal based on the past three years of library budgets. He reminded the board that wages and benefits are calculated by the county and are not under the library’s control; trustees’ focus, he said, should be on the operating portion of the budget.

“In terms of operations, it’s just 2.7 percent—about $4,200—increase,” he said, citing higher utility costs and noting there was “nothing drastic” in program or operational lines.

Segura pressed on statutory deadlines, saying she would not vote to pass the budget that day and arguing that the board had not been given sufficient time to review it before it had to be submitted to the comptroller.

The county’s legal staff stepped in, with Karner and County Commissioner Myles Getto, who attended the meeting, explaining that the board essentially had two options: approve the budget or decline it. If the board approved the budget, staff could still make adjustments before the final countywide budget is adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in the spring.

“If you guys approve the budget, you guys can make modifications to it at a later date, all the way up until the final budget is approved by us,” Getto said, noting that formal augmentations are common.

Getto encouraged trustees to meet with Hong individually or schedule a special meeting prior to the county’s budget hearings on Feb. 20–21 if they wanted changes.

“I’m comfortable with approving it and then meeting with John because I have a lot of questions,” Serna said.

Swirczek made a motion to approve the proposed budget with the understanding that trustees would follow up with questions and, if needed, request changes. The motion passed unanimously.

The board also approved its 2026 meeting schedule and December budget and gift fund reports.