St. Tammany Parish Council appoints two to Library Board after contentious public comment

The Saint Tammany Parish Council voted Feb. 6 to appoint Chuck Branton and Dinah Thanars to two vacant seats on the Saint Tammany Parish Library Board of Control, following more than an hour of public comment and debate.

The decision followed an off-the-floor motion to add the second appointment to the evening’s agenda and a public comment period in which residents split between supporting Thanars — a longtime educator nominated by local council members — and criticizing Branton’s ties to local accountability groups. After public comment the council approved the appointments unanimously (with members absent), then drew lots to assign the remaining one-year and two-year terms and voted to suspend the rules so the new members could begin serving immediately.

Why it matters: The Library Board of Control oversees library policy and the library millage that funds the system; public speakers said appointments will shape library services and influence an upcoming funding decision. Many residents urged the council to prioritize nominees with library advocacy experience and community ties; others argued political endorsements or participation in advocacy groups should not bar service.

The appointments and process The council first voted unanimously to add the second appointment to the agenda (motion to add off-the-floor: moved by Miss Tanner; second by Miss Bridal). After opening the floor for public comment, Councilwoman Coogel moved to appoint Chuck Branton and Dinah Thanars to the two vacancies (second by Councilwoman Laughlin). The council recorded the appointment vote as unanimous with two members absent. Council members then drew lots to determine which appointee would serve the shorter remaining term (to June 2025) and which would serve until June 2026; the council noted that after those expirations the seats will convert to five-year terms under the staggered schedule. Finally, the council voted to suspend the rules and adopt, allowing the appointees to begin serving immediately (motion by Mister Corbin; second by Mister Laughlin).

Public concerns and endorsements Public commenters were sharply divided. Several speakers urged rejection of Branton because of his litigation history and associations with local accountability groups that have advocated for changes at the library and supported candidates who favor redirecting library policy. Kevin Marino told the council, “Branton is closely tied with the accountability group, an organization pushing to ban books.”

Other commenters urged the council to appoint Thanars, highlighting her decades as an educator and local involvement. Don Thanars, who identified himself as Dinah Thanars’s husband, said: “Dinah Thanars has integrity. She will do the right thing for the right reasons, the right way.” Several speakers raised procedural concerns: some said the second vacancy was added with little public notice and asked the council to allow more time for applications.

Council response and process clarifications Council members defended the process and the nominees. Councilman Phillips pushed back on claims that the council or nominees plan to divert library funds, saying, “There is no effort, and there's no legal way that we can redirect the money away from the library. It would be totally illegal.” Other members said the Home Rule Charter governs nominations and that nominations can come from council members under current rules. The council noted that the newly appointed seats are parish-wide and that state or charter rules would govern any future change to the nomination process.

What the appointees will serve Council staff and members explained the term assignments: one vacancy ends in June 2025 (the shorter remaining term) and the other ends in June 2026; after those expirations the seats revert to standard five-year terms per the council’s staggered schedule. The council drew lots to assign which appointee will fill each remaining period.

Votes at a glance - Motion to add second appointment to the agenda: moved by Miss Tanner; second by Miss Bridal; outcome: unanimous, with 1 absent. - Motion to appoint Chuck Branton and Dinah Thanars to the Library Board of Control: moved by Miss Coogel; second by Miss Laughlin; outcome: approved (unanimous with 2 absent). - Motion to suspend rules and adopt to allow appointees to begin serving immediately: moved by Mister Corbin; second by Mister Laughlin; outcome: approved (unanimous with 1 absent).

What’s next The council recorded the appointments and will have the seats on the board through June 2025 and June 2026 as assigned; those terms will be subject to reappointment under the council’s schedule. Speakers referenced an upcoming library millage and urged both the council and the Library Board of Control to consider communitywide services, stewardship of library funds and public trust in how the library system is governed.

(Reporting note: Quotes and attributions are drawn from public comment and council discussion recorded in the Feb. 6, 2025 council meeting transcript.)