More Scathing Library Handling Criticism Rounds Out County Supervisors July 15 Meeting

The board’s only July 15 discussion about the future of public library services in this community occurred behind closed doors. But not so for the public. At the second Public Comments on non-agenda items near the July 15 meeting’s end two speakers, Bill Grewe and John Jenkins, were scathingly critical of the board’s handling of Samuels Public Library situation, including the ongoing lack of Fiscal Year-2026 public funding for the popular and award-winning library.

At the 1:45:25 video mark, Grewe opened, addressing Chairman “Jay” Butler and Vice-Chairman John Stanmeyer:

Bill Grewe called two supervisors liars, if incompetent ones, regarding public library issues. And he went historical for an end of WW II in Germany analogy on the two supervisors who have been silent, but “voting with the liars” thus far in the library services debate. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

“Gentlemen, I have not heard you telling lies about Samuels Library. But you have voted with the liars on every occasion,” Grewe said pointedly of the chair and vice-chair’s ongoing alignment with Supervisors Jamieson and Cook, the latter Grewe’s Fork District representative.

In recounting the year-plus, some would say three-year, effort to end the long-standing, 73-plus-year County Public/Private Library Partnership with Samuels Library, Grewe made an analogy to the hunkering down of Nazi collaborators with Hitler in a bunker as Germany’s World War II defeat overwhelmingly loomed above them on the April 1945 streets of Berlin:

“Gentlemen, you do not have to stay in the bunker with the incompetent liars. You can come out and join the Warren County community, which has voted overwhelmingly for (pro-) library candidates in June and will vote overwhelmingly for library candidates in November … Just think how good that would feel, not to have to spend another minute on this lost cause.

“Don’t stay in the bunker until the bitter end. Restore the Samuels Library Public/Private Partnership funding now, and the citizens of Warren County will thank you,” Grewe concluded to the two non-verbal members of the thus-far 4-person board majority against Samuels.

Dressed to indicate his stance for Samuels and against the thus far 4-member board majority attacking the library, South River District resident John Jenkins followed Grewe to the podium.

Non-agenda item Public Comments speaker John Jenkins came to the podium sporting a shirt that stated his position against the supervisor majority’s ‘Crusade’ against Samuels Public Library, currently operating without any County public tax revenue funding. The front says, ‘Book Burners of Warren County’ with a combustible temperature of 451 Fahrenheit in the middle surrounded by four human figures; and the back speaks for itself.

“Tonight it’s going to be ‘Let’s Make a Deal’,” Jenkins began, continuing to read a list of board-created conditions directed Samuels Library’s way, as well as potential alternate funding uses of the $1.024-million set aside by the board for public library funding in FY-26. “This is not a compromise or negotiation, rather it’s more like a directive, or some people would call it blackmail, extortion, intimidation, or a shake down or a conspiracy if more than two people are involved,” Jenkins said to the four-member board majority seated or projected remotely before him. That majority excludes his South River District Supervisor Cullers, thus far the lone pro-Samuels Library supervisor.

Then continuing his “Let’s Make a Deal” theme Jenkins made a suggestion to the list of potential county departmental recipients of the tax revenue set aside for library operations should the board majority refuse it to Samuels, now the lone operational public library in the community following the contract withdrawal of the board’s open bidding choice, Library Systems & Services (LS&S).

“If Samuels does not accept these terms I encourage all the departments in the County (government) to NOT accept any funding that was designated for Samuels Public Library,” Jenkins said, adding, “I also encourage our citizens to contact our  local court system, government agencies in response to the continued willful violation of democratic principals by elected officials.

“The actions of four members of the Warren County Board of Supervisors has raised concerns regarding potential changes to programs or resources that have historically benefitted the community,” Jenkins continued raising the specter of violations of their oaths of office to represent the best interests of all county citizens, not just those of like-minded, perhaps religiously motivated, personal perspectives.

“The funds proposed for reallocation to other departments are tax dollars contributed by supporters of Samuels Public Library. Your actions thus far are a disgrace,” Jenkins concluded of his call to legal arms against the supervisor majority by the vast array of citizen supporters of Samuels, many who have benefited from library programs for both adult and youthful citizens of this community.

A third speaker, Gustavo Gonzalez, questioned oversight policies for Short-term Tourist Rental permitting. Citing a recent trip to Montana, Gonzalez pointed to a policy initiative in which 2% of a county’s housing capacity was allowed to be permitted to Short-term Rentals. He said the involved community’s housing units were cited at 15,000 to 16,000. Citing information on the County website here he estimated 17,000 residential units in Warren County and wondered if a similar limitating policy might might be beneficial to consider here.

See the full meeting discussions and actions in the County video.