THUNDER BAY – City council has appointed one of the Thunder Bay Public Library’s fiercest critics to sit on its board, after voting to expand council's oversight over the library earlier this year.
Coun. Trevor Giertuga will join Red River Coun. Michael Zussino on the library’s board, along with eight other citizen representatives.
Giertuga’s appointment, announced at a Monday council meeting following a closed session discussion, will take effect immediately.
“We’re the major funder for the library, obviously,” he said in an interview following the meeting. “I think it’s important we have representation there to see where the funds are going, the direction the library’s going in these days.”
“I’m going to be council’s eyes and ears on that board.”
The move comes as the board prepares to make major decisions, like approving a new facilities plan that could see two library branches closed, and a new Intercity location added.
Giertuga said he’s skeptical of that plan, while adding he’s open to changing his mind.
“A centralized location’s tough,” he said. “I’d like to see more neighbourhood-type approaches. If people don’t have vehicles and they access by transit … I’m not sure if that’s the way to go.”
“They are moving in a different direction than we’ve done in the past. I want to make sure that’s something that is the best thing for our community, and the best way to spend our tax dollars.”
Giertuga’s record on the library, which has included supporting surprise budget cuts and governance changes to the institution, as well as publicly calling out its leadership, could make him a controversial addition.
During this year’s budget process, Giertuga had supported a surprise motion to cut the library’s budget by $100,000. The motion was ultimately defeated.
The at-large councillor led a charge to change the library board’s structure to add a second councillor — and reject the library’s own planned governance changes — earlier this year.
He did not discuss that idea with the library board before bringing it to council for a vote, Giertuga acknowledged in an interview.
The decision gave council added sway over an institution with which it’s sparred repeatedly in recent years. At the time, Giertuga also hinted at later adding a third city councillor to the library’s board.
Giertuga first raised the idea of expanding council representation on the library board in 2020, when he publicly confronted library leadership with a list of questions over its governance and programming decisions.
Despite that history, Giertuga said he’s not bringing any particular agenda to the new role.
“I’m not going in with any pre-conceived notions or trying to make cuts or do anything crazy,” he said. “I’m just going to go in with an open mind and let my experience add something to the board.”
Asked about the often frosty relationship between city and library leadership, Giertuga suggested a closer working relationship could help bring about a thaw.
“I think we need to consider not speaking in the media about certain things,” he said. “We need to come together and have those open conversations … rather than in the media or the community — I don’t think that’s effective, and I don’t think it makes for good relationships between council and any board.”
