Marathon County supervisors again debate book challenges in trustee appointment

Damakant Jayshi

Despite warnings from Marathon County’s corporation counsel, the Board of Supervisors on Thursday again drifted into the topic of challenged books amid a debate over a library trustee’s reappointment.

The 38-member county board approved, by a vote of 18-15, the reappointment of Reid Rayome to the Marathon County Public Library Board of Trustees for a full-term of three years despite objections from a few supervisors. Those opposed said their constituents did not support Rayome’s reappointment, while other supervisors said they saw strong support for the position. Five supervisors were either absent or excused from the meeting.

Before the debate, Corporation Counsel Michael Puerner advised the supervisors to desist from discussing the MCPL Board of Trustees’ actions and instead focus on the individual nominated for reappointment.

Rayome, currently vice president of the Board of Trustees, was appointed in April 2022 to serve a term that expires Dec. 31. His nomination was supported by Wisconsin State Rep. Pat Snyder, Republican of Schofield, and the director of the Wisconsin Valley Library Service, Marla Sepnafski.

Snyder, in supporting Rayome’s reappointment, referred to the meeting of the MCPL’s Board of Trustees on Aug. 21 that the vice president chaired. The trustees discussed a proposed public library rating systems and the legal ramifications involved.

During public comments on that day, a majority of the speakers criticized attempts to impose a rating system, some calling it backhanded attempt to limit access to books challenged by a group of supervisors and some people in the community. Those favoring the system said that doing so would keep “pornographic materials” away from children.

“When I attended a contentious Library Board meeting on August 21, 2023, I thought Reid fairly and effectively maintained order during the meeting,” Snyder wrote to the county supervisors in his endorsement of Rayome’s reappointment. “As Vice President he normally doesn’t handle chairing duties but did so with respect and was attentive to public comments.”

During the public comments on Thursday, Rayome addressed the county board himself, urging the supervisors to approve his reappointment while reminding them that in April 2022, his appointment was unanimous.

So far, during discussions about the library, a majority of public speakers haave spoken against limiting access to materials, telling the supervisors and residents who favor a rating system and reshelving books not to impose their choices on others.

Speaking during public comments during a budget discussion in November, residents blasted attempts to reduce funding for the public library. All 18 of the 22 speakers who spoke about the library funding and challenged books urged supervisors not to make any further cuts and some asked them to restore last year’s cut of $69,000. A week later, library funding in the county’s 2024 budget passed smoothly.

Supervisors this week also appointed Natahan Turajski for a three-year term after Brent Jacobson said he would not seek reappointment. Jacobson was appointed in January to serve the remaining tenure of another trustee. The supervisors also approved the reappointment of Kathryn Palmer for three years to the Wisconsin Valley Library Service Board of Trustees. She too has been serving the remainder of the tenure of another member on the WVLS Board who had resigned. These two appointments were approved with comfortable margins, with Turajski getting a near unanimous vote.