Wood River Councilman Approves His Own Library Board Appointment

Wood River City Council Meeting

WOOD RIVER – Wood River officials are researching a potential conflict of interest after a City Council member approved his own appointment to the Library Board of Trustees.

At the Feb. 2, 2026, Wood River City Council meeting, council members voted 3-2 to appoint current Councilman Jeremy Plank to the Wood River Library Board. Voting against his appointment were Councilmen David Ayres and Bill Dettmers; voting in favor were Mayor Tom Stalcup, Councilman Scott Tweedy, and Plank himself.

Dettmers quickly questioned whether Plank was allowed to vote for his own appointment to the Library Board, which prompted some discussion. City Attorney Kathryn Warren said the “best practice” would have been for Plank to abstain, but advised allowing the vote to stand as she looks further into whether his vote conflicts with the City Code.

The current City Code only allows one City Council member to sit on the Library Board in a voting capacity. Ayres, who sits on the Library Board as a non-voting member, asked whether Plank would consider a non-voting role on the board to avoid having to abstain from voting on Library Board budget items as they come before the City Council. Mayor Stalcup said part of his intention in appointing Plank was for him to serve in a voting capacity on the board.

A full recording of the Feb. 2, 2026, Wood River City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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