The Latah County Library District will be holding an election on May 20 to determine their new Board of Trustees members. The vote is a part of a larger Latah County election that includes various water, sewer and highway districts.
While three individuals are running for reelection, they will all be contested for their current positions. This is not a common occurrence for LCLD, according to campaign manager Tara Karr Roberts.
The three running for reelection are Annette Pimentel, Marci Miller and Rochelle Smith.
Bradley Baas and Jeanne Moore are the two running against them.
Smith currently holds the four-year term of the chair, while Pimentel holds the four-year trustee seat. Miller currently holds the two-year trustee seat.
According to the LCLD website, the purpose of the board is to ensure that all Latah County libraries run smoothly while providing equal and engaging opportunities for all.
“Trustees are voices for their community and act as advocates for the library district in fulfilling its mission to provide access to information in ways that recognize and respect all members of our community,” as per the website.
Those running for reelection have been in their positions for a combined total of 22 years and hope to continue serving their community.
Smith, who has had an LCLD library card since 1994 and became a librarian not long after that, knows that her love of libraries and the impact they’ve had on her life has changed her.
“I have loved public libraries since I was a child and am in love with our local Bookmobile! I’m a librarian myself and have worked in both public and academic libraries, and I believe strongly in their importance,” Smith said. “So, when a vacancy in the board came up in 2014, I saw an opportunity to do my part as a resident of Latah County and help our community libraries.”
To take care of the libraries, which is something all board members strive for, has brought the community together.
Despite being surprised at the opposition for their previously held positions, Smith and Pimentel welcome the competition. The two agree that it’s good for both the community and the library system.
“The first time I ran I wasn’t challenged, so this is new for me. I believe in the process of representative government, though, so I am very willing to go through the election process,” Pimentel continued. “It has been great to speak to so many Latah County residents about the library and what matters to them.”
Smith commented something very similar.
“The LCLD Board of Trustee election is usually a pretty sleepy one and has been uncontested for most of the time I’ve been on the board,” Smith said. “So it was a bit of a surprise, but I welcome it as a chance for all our communities to vote, get involved civically and have their say in the running of our great library system.”
The other candidates did not respond to inquiries from The Argonaut on the election, but their contact information can be found on the Latah County Library District website, as well as the Latah County tab under the VoteIdaho.gov site.
Voters can learn more about each candidate at an upcoming forum. Hosted by the League of Women Voters of Moscow, the forum will occur at 7-8:30 p.m. on May 7 at the 1912 Center.
Paige Wilton can be reached at [email protected].