The West Florida Public Library Board of Governance (Board) was established by Escambia County Resolution R2013-17, adopted by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) on January 22, 2013, to create a permanent Board to oversee the management of the West Florida Public Library System and make recommendations to the BCC regarding the annual budget and to serve a public purpose by assisting the County with developing and maintaining an effective and efficient library system.
The duties of the Board were established to oversee the management of the West Florida Public Library System and make recommendations to the BCC regarding the annual budget. Towards this end, the Board shall:
- Be accountable for the administration and operation of the West Florida Public Library System;
- Recommend to the County Administrator or designee a Library Director to develop and implement a long-range plan, an annual plan of service, and an annual budget, and oversee the day-to-day operation of the West Florida Public Library System. The Library Director shall be an employee of Escambia County and shall report directly or indirectly to the County Administrator. Upon the written request of the Board, the County Administrator or designee may remove and/or reassign the Library Director within 30 days. The Board shall conduct an annual evaluation of the Library Director and forward said evaluation to the County's Administrator or designee;
- Submit an annual budget in accordance with the budget calendar to the BCC for the period commencing on October 1st and ending on September 30th of each Fiscal Year. The annual budget shall be subject to the approval of the BCC; and
- Comply with the spending limitations established by the annual budget according to the County policy, including any amendment(s) thereto, as authorized by the BCC.
The Board shall be composed of five voting members. All members of the Board shall be electors of Escambia County. The BCC shall appoint three members, the Pensacola City Council shall appoint one member to the Board, and the Mayor of Pensacola shall appoint one member to the Board. When establishing the Board, two of the three members appointed by the BCC and one member appointed by the Mayor of Pensacola shall serve an initial term of three years. The remaining two members, one appointed by the BCC and one appointed by the Pensacola City Council, shall serve an initial term of two years. Thereafter, all members shall be appointed for two-year terms. Where a vacancy occurs, the appointment shall be for the unexpired part of the current term. A member may be reappointed to succeed himself for not more than one term, but may be again appointed for membership after the lapse of two years. Should any member of the Board cease to be an elector of the County or cease to occupy the office or position of responsibility set for in his or her appointment, he or she shall cease to be a member of the Board and shall be replaced by the appointing authority. Additionally, the Board may recommend to the appointing authority the removal of a Board member who accrues two unexcused absences of the Board during the calendar year. Absences may be excused by a majority vote of the members present at any meeting.
