Outgoing chair Gianna Jacks tried to prevent a vote on her replacement
The Washoe County Library Board of Trustees elected a new board chair during yet another contentious meeting on Wednesday at the Incline Village Library. Trustee Ann Silver with the Reno-Sparks Chamber was chosen as the new board chair, and Tammy Ruff was selected as vice chair.
The votes came after a debate about whether to hold the elections at all. Outgoing Chair Gianna Jacks tried to prevent a vote for new leadership, citing time constraints and Trustee Al Rogers’s eventual departure from the board.
Jacks has criticized library procedures and often berates Library Director Jeff Scott at meetings. “Unfortunately, we’re out of time. We are moving on to board comments,” Jacks said when trying to postpone the elections.
Rogers protested, calling Jacks’s maneuver offensive. The discussion got heated. “These are typical things that happen this time of the year,” he said. “It seems offhanded.”
Ruff said she was appalled. “I’m actually, frankly, appalled that the items you are tabling are the leadership items on this agenda,” she said. “We need to vote on new leadership. That is what happens at this meeting whether you are elected or not.”
Silver called Jacks’s choice to remove agenda items a unilateral decision “for no real explainable reason.”
“I think the optics are not positive for this board or for you in particular.”
Jacks said Rogers should recuse himself from the vote, which Rogers protested. Jacks also alleged Rogers was “kicked off” the board.
Rogers, in turn, called the statement defamatory. “I was not reappointed. My appointment is still active,” he responded, suggesting the discussion violated the open meeting law.
Deputy District Attorney Herb Kaplan had to step in. He said Jacks’s attempt was inconsistent with the board’s rules. “The bylaws require that these are done at this meeting,” he said.
The other trustees resisted Jacks, arguing that the bylaws required holding leadership elections at the June meeting regardless of Rogers’ status. Silver asked Jacks to reconsider, saying all board members came prepared to vote on leadership.
“I think the optics are not positive for this board or for you in particular,” she said. “And none of us want to be averse to one another.”
After a recess, Jacks relented and made a motion to appoint a new board chair. Ruff nominated Silver, and a motion was quickly seconded, with Silver receiving unanimous support. Ruff was elected unanimously as vice chair.
Tax extension explained
Library Director Scott reported that a tax renewal will be on the November ballot and said a recent poll showed 68% support for the measure. The tax has been in place for 30 years and funds library operations and services.
If the renewal is not approved, library staff will be laid off, the book budget will be eliminated, and library hours will be reduced, according to a Washoe Libraries webpage. The tax has been used to build four new libraries and renovate five libraries.
“If you like what you see … continue with the tax,” Scott said.
CORRECTION: It was Ruff who nominated Silver, not Jacks as originally reported.
