City Commissioners reappointed Noelle Johnson to the Great Falls Public Library board for a full five-year term in a 3-2 vote.

Commissioners appointed Johnson over the recommendation from the other library board members last fall to appoint Jerry Hopkins, who was the Great Falls High School librarian.

The October appointment came with months of discussion and revision of the city’s board appointment process.

In October, a more than typical number of people attended the commission meeting, many were the same who had attended county meetings over elections and other city meetings regarding the library levy.

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Many who opposed the library board’s fall recommendation and supported Johnson’s appointment have been vocal in arguing that there was fraud in the local election process, have asked county commissioners to eliminate mail ballots and require hand counting of ballots. Many of them have been vocal supporters of Sandra Merchant, the then county clerk and recorder who oversees county elections. At least a few of them have vocally argued that there were flaws in the library levy election and contested the results. That election was run under Merchant.

County Commissioners have since removed election duties from Merchant’s office and a district court judge ruled against two Merchant supporters who filed a civil suit against the city arguing that the library levy election was improper.

Johnson was opposed to the library levy.

Former City Commissioner Eric Hinebauch, who recently defeated Rae Grulkowski in the Republican primary for a county commission seat, had moved to appoint Johnson in October, offering no reason as to why he nominated her other than he felt it was the commission’s duty to appoint someone and that he felt she was qualified and would offer a different perspective to the board.

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Last summer, some members of the public asked commissioners to interview all applicants for the library board, a request they denied and instead asked the library board to interview the candidates and make a recommendation.

Last summer and fall, commissioners debated whether a person on a board should be granted a second term and the updated policy change stated that all board vacancies should be advertised regardless if a person on the board was seeking a second term and that the commission could reject appointment of someone for a second term.

This month, commissioners interviewed six applicants for the library board, including Johnson, for the full five-year term through June 30, 2029. The other applicants were: Sandor Hopkins, Ashlynn Maczko, Susan Lee, Sharon Anderson and Bob Kelly.

The library board has five members appointed by the City Commission, as well as two ex officio members, one representing the city commission, the other representing the county commission.

The board oversees library policies and operations.

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During the June 18 meeting, Commissioner Shannon Wilson moved to appoint Maczko, who is the library director at Great Falls College MSU.

Multiple people spoke in favor of someone who cares about libraries and in opposition to Johnson, rather than in support of Maczko specifically.

Commissioner Rick Tryon said he was impressed with Mazcko’s qualifications and her interview, but “can’t support her for the library board.”

He said it was disappointing that members of the public made personal attacks on Johnson.

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Wilson said she was impressed with the quality of applicants but it was the commission’s duty to pick the best person and “not lean toward somebody’s community or their pack of people or their group or who they’ll be watching out for.”

Of Maczko, Wilson said “she outshines everybody on the list.”

Commissioner Joe McKenney said that Maczko is qualified to be a library director and “I’m not sure that’s the best place to be on a board.”

He said to look at the commission and “I don’t want to see another Greg Doyon, city manager, sitting up here.”

Library directors have place to play in community, but not necessarily on the board, McKenney said.

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Mayor Cory Reeves said they had good applicants but thought Johnson would be best suited back on the board.

Wilson’s motion to appoint Maczko failed 2-3, with Wilson and Commissioner Susan Wolff in favor, Reeves, Tryon and McKenney in opposition.

Tryon then moved to reappoint Johnson, seconded by McKenney.

Wilson moved to amend the motion to instead appoint Bob Kelly, former mayor, seconded by Wolff.

Jane Weber, a former county commissioner and current candidate for the state Legislature, said that the library was in a different position this year as Tryon has suggested taking mills from the library for public safety and the idea has been raised of severing the library from the city, making it a standalone entity.

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As that discussion is happening, Weber said the board needed a different skillset and recommended Kelly for the library board position.

Turner Graybill, a local lawyer, said that he loves the library and spent time with Alma Jacobs, the former director, in his younger days.

He also suggested that the commission appoint Kelly to the board, as did another speaker.

Another dozen or so people got up to voice their opinion on whether commissioners should amend the motion, split down the middle in support or opposition.

The amendment failed, 2-3, again with Wilson and Wolff in support, Tryon, McKenney and Reeves opposed.

That took commissioners back to the motion of appointing Johnson to the library board.

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Tryon said he saw disappointed looks from other library board members in the audience, “which is really a problem.”

He said “Noelle has done her homework” and thinks it’s a good think she has a dissenting view from the other board members.

Wilson, who serves as the ex officio representing the city commission on the library board, said that Johnson does go through the packets but had a problem with Johnson often voting no on matters before the board without explaining why.

“I would think when voting no, should explain why, not just be there for the no vote,” Wilson said. “She gives no reason why she votes no. If they want to change things and vote no, we need to know why.”

McKenney supported Johnson’s reappointment.

He said “there’s always differences of opinion. I like differences of opinion.”

He said that when commissioners vote unanimously, he wonders if he needed to be there, and prefered 3-2 votes because the community is divided.

After roughly an hour-long discussion, commissioners voted 3-2 to reappoint Johnson with Tryon, McKenney, Reeves in favor and Wilson and Wolff opposed.