Crowd angered as library bond is tabled

By MaryHelen Swanson
The gavel banged on the board table once, twice, and again. Chisago County Board of Commissioners Chairman Ben Montzka called for decorum as a roomful of people all wanted to express views on the subject of libraries.
Even a retired 10th District judge was not allowed to applaud when he heard words with which he agreed.
A proposal to bond through the county to help build at least three public library buildings was before the county board July 16 and Montzka was anticipating a yes or no vote to proceed with the financing.
The vote came at the end of a long public hearing, but it was not to proceed with bonding but to table action on the proposed bonding until the county has its 2004 budget prepared.
That 3-2 vote (Commissioners Montzka and Lora Walker opposed) brought sharp remarks from the large crowd that would have brought down the gavel once again, except the discussion was over and the board was ready to move on.
Angry and disappointed folks got up and left the room.
A brief history of the library bond proposal shows that it first came to the board June 4, 2003, presented by chairman Montzka.
At that time the commissioners discussed the option of the county bonding some $3 million to assist Wyoming with a new library and North Branch and the Lindstrom, Chisago City area with new buildings for already existing libraries.
The commissioners adopted, 4-1, a schedule that included disseminating the library proposal information to the public in early July and taking a vote on proceeding with bonding on July 23.
At the June 18 board meeting, while Commissioner Walker moved to continue with the schedule they had previously adopted, the vote was again 3-2, with the board voting down Walkerís motion.
At least one board member was surprised to see the bond issue up for a vote at the July 16 meeting.
Chairman Montzka, after listening to numerous comments of support from area mayors, council persons, township officers, library staff members and interested public citizens, called for a vote on bonding.
He said Commissioner Bob Gustafson out of order for talking about delaying a vote until the budget is done.
Gustafson said it was irresponsible for the board to act on the library bond without knowing how next yearís budget was going to come out.
Montzka said Gustafsonís comment was an excuse and irrelevant, because levying for library bonds comes outside the realm of general taxation.
Gustafson did not say he was against the concept, he just wanted to take more time.
Commissioner Mike Robinson concurred, suggesting the board wait for three months until the budget is done.
Robinson said no one on the board said they were against the library proposal.
Commissioner Walker said if the county board was a township board theyíd ask for a vote from the audience.
She then asked the crowd of 50 or so for a show of hands if they supported the idea and the air filled with waving arms.
Commissioner Gustafson began to speak and was again told he was out of order by Montzka.
Then Montzka took the floor saying it was his turn to speak.
His words were emotional. He said God put the people in that room that night and it was their window of opportunity to do something.
He noted that Commissioner Walker was late to the meeting, which she never is, and referred to her love of riding motorcycles. He continued saying if she had had an accident, there would never be any libraries.
To Robinson he said his comments, (Robinson had suggested also bonding for a jail and millions of dollars to pave all roads in the county along with bonding for the libraries) would not even be allowed in a high school debate.
Montzka said Robinsonís comments were not logical thinking.
Montzka said as he interpreted Robertís Rules of Order he was allowed to request a vote that night.
A motion came, but not the one Montzka wanted. Gustafson moved, with a second from Robinson, to table action until Sept. 3.
Commissioner Rick Olseen supported the motion. Earlier in the evening he had said he supported the library proposal, even the county taking over ownership of the libraries. The hang-up - not knowing the affect of the 2004 budget.
Some of the supporters of the proposal at the meeting that night included Kathy Hoffman, assistant director of the East Central Regional Library system, NB librarian Sue Monroe, mayors of Lindstrom, Chisago City, North Branch, Shafer, Wyoming, and citizens George McMahon, Chisago City, Mark Oberg, Curt Flug, John Carlson and Warner Johnson all of Lindstrom, Dr. Carol Giesler, Lee Olson, Doylene Voligny and Verna Hoppe, all of North Branch, plus township and city council representatives.
Montzka closed the hearing addressing the audience members saying if they cared about libraries come back Sept. 3, if not, donít.

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