Council postpones library-board reappointment after members raise attendance concerns

The Taylor City Council voted to postpone the reappointment of Sheila Gorski Scholte to the library board until Dec. 16 after members raised questions about her attendance and participation.

At the meeting a council member said a library-board member reported Scholte had missed several quarterly meetings and was absent from a recent meeting where the board approved a $75,000 draw from fund balance for building work. “She did not attend to participate in a fairly significant expenditure,” the council member said, arguing the city needs appointees who show consistent engagement.

Mayor Wooley defended the mayor’s appointee, saying the person had been outspoken about budget priorities and had raised concerns about using fund balance for building work. “The individual that I chose to keep on this board was the one that was speaking out the most,” the mayor said, citing the appointee’s fiscal concerns.

Other council members disagreed over the facts. One council member called a characterization of the mayor’s outreach “absolutely ridiculously — that’s a lie,” and several members said they did not know exactly how many meetings the appointee had missed. A motion to postpone the vote until the council could gather more information was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

The council did not take a final vote on the reappointment; the item will return to the agenda on Dec. 16 so members can confirm attendance records and any other relevant information before deciding. The postponement was requested by council members who said they wanted time to verify how many meetings the appointee had missed and to allow the mayor or board members to provide further context.