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Library trustees select Mary Pluhar as director; commissioners discuss governance and payroll options
Summary
At a Feb. 27 meeting, Garfield County library trustees informed commissioners they selected Mary Pluhar as director; the board and trustees discussed trustee duties under MCA codes and whether payroll should be run by trustees or contracted through the county.
County commissioners and the Garfield County Free Library Board of Trustees discussed the trustees' duties under Montana Code Annotated and options for managing library payroll during a Feb. 27 meeting in Jordan. The trustees reported they interviewed two candidates and selected Mary Pluhar as the new Library Director.
Trustees present included Sharon Nelson (chair), and the group discussed whether payroll and related administrative tasks should be handled by the trustees as an independent entity or contracted through county payroll services. Commissioners and trustees agreed to keep financial arrangements the same until the start of the new fiscal year while exploring formal options. Trustee Sharon Nelson provided a letter confirming the trustees' decision to hire Pluhar.
The trustees also reported that Karen Gibbs is willing to complete a fingerprint scan to enroll in the county Time Clock system and will return to work. The board did not adopt a formal county policy change at the meeting; next steps include working with county staff (including Jennifer Crawford) to determine the administrative path forward.
The trustees asked the commissioners to maintain the current financial setup for the library until fiscal-year changes can be implemented.
