Hibbing council declines ordinance to shrink library board after debate over authority

Hibbing — The City Council on Wednesday declined a proposed ordinance that would have cut the Hibbing Public Library board’s membership from seven to five in a phased schedule.

City Attorney Borland told council members the modification would "reduce the number of members of the library board from 7, gradually down to 5," with the ordinance moving to six members effective Jan. 1, 2026 and to five on Jan. 1, 2027. The proposal was presented as a phased change prompted in part by one member who recently moved out of the city.

Supporters said a smaller board could improve efficiency and make it easier to achieve quorums; opponents questioned whether the city had the authority and expressed concern about shrinking a newly formed board that drew significant interest when created. One councilor said the board had not been actively re‑recruited for the recent vacancy and suggested retaining the current size until the council could evaluate application levels.

After discussion and recorded voices that included multiple 'aye' responses, councilors declared the motion failed. During the wrap‑up a member stated plainly, "It fails," and the conclusion given in the meeting was that the measure failed "on a tie." The council did not adopt the ordinance and will retain the existing board size until the matter is revisited or new recruitment is completed.

The attorney noted the city's ordinance allows the council to set board membership within state limits and that any challenge to the change could be pursued administratively or in civil court by interested parties or the board itself.

The council moved on to other business; no implementation steps related to the library board change were approved at the meeting.