Ellis County appoints five members to new county library board with staggered terms

The Ellis County Commission appointed five residents to serve on the newly formed county library board, an entity voters approved in the August primary.

County administrator Darren Myers said the commission received 12 citizen interest forms and asked each commissioner to rank applicants; the top five combined picks were Jennifer Teggett, Becky Rogowski, Kylie Honus, Benjamin Domi and Alicia Hammerschmidt. The commission approved appointments with staggered initial terms: Teggett and Rogowski through April 30, 2028; Honus through April 30, 2027; Domi through April 30, 2026; and Hammerschmidt through April 30, 2025. Each appointment was approved on a voice vote.

Myers said the board’s initial months will be focused on bylaws, understanding relevant statutes and regulations, and preparing a budget request for the 2026 process because the board will not have a budget in 2025. He noted the state library regulations are under review and that, if changed, the board could seek an expedited process for withdrawal from the regional library system to avoid a two‑year waiting period.

Commissioners discussed governance and legal counsel. Staff advised that the board is autonomous—its decisions would not require commission approval—and that the county commission chair will serve as a voting member of the board. Myers suggested the new board consider independent legal counsel to avoid conflicts of interest with the county commission’s legal representation.

Next steps: Staff will assist the board in organizing its initial meetings; the county chair will participate as an ex officio voting member and the board will develop bylaws and an initial budget request for commission consideration.