The Park City Council recently appointed the wife of Assistant Park City Manager Michael Kovacs to serve on the Park City Library Board, a panel that has some influence on the functioning of the Park City Library and Education Center.

Fonya Kovacs’ term runs until July 1, 2013. Michael Kovacs and his family moved to Park City from Texas after he was tapped as the assistant city manager. He said his wife has been a longtime patron of libraries and Fonya Kovacs once worked at a bookstore in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The assistant city manager said his wife has never served on a municipal panel. He said he consulted with Mayor Dana Williams and City Manager Tom Bakaly about the prospects of a conflict of interest in her applying for a spot on the Library Board and whether the application would fit within City Hall’s ethics policies.

Kovacs said he does not oversee the Library and Education Center as part of his duties, meaning that he does not expect he will be given assignments that involve the Library Board.

The panel sets policies at the Library and Education Center, assists staffers with long-term planning and acts as an advocate for the facility. Positions are unpaid. There are between five and nine members of the Library Board at any one time. Members must live inside the Park City limits. Meetings are held monthly.

Linda Tillson, the library director, said she anticipates the Library Board in coming months will consider ways to expand the library space, but she said it is unlikely that an addition will be built.

Other people appointed to the Library Board on Thursday include:

Suzette Lamb Robarge, with a term expiring July 1, 2011

Carolyn Creek-McCallister, with a term expiring July 1, 2013

Elizabeth “Sam” Wilkerson, with a term expiring July 1, 2013

There have been other married couples in various roles within the municipal government without causing issues, including City Councilwoman Candy Erickson serving at the same time her husband, Bruce Erickson, was on the Planning Commission. Brooks Robinson and Phyllis Robinson have each held high-level staff positions at the same time.