An Apology to Samuels Library Is In Order

To the Warren County Board of Supervisors (except Cheryl Cullers) and every one of their appointed minions on the Warren County Library Board:

After watching your performance at the March 4 meeting at the Warren County Government Center, I think it is time for you to issue a formal apology to Melody Hotek, The Samuels Library Board of Trustees, Erin Rooney, Eileen Grady and the entire staff at Samuels Library for the insulting and disrespectful manner in which you have treated them. These are people who serve the residents of Warren County with professionalism, efficiency, empathy, creativity and joy. Their work has brightened the lives of so many people and made our county a richer place. A better place than it would be without Samuels Library. I’m going to have to think hard to come up with any accomplishments by this board of supervisors that have brought as much good to the county.

Quite the contrary, your focus on a crisis that you manufactured out of thin air is wasting your time as a Supervisor. That is time you should be spending on real problems facing this county. There is not and never has been a misuse of taxpayer dollars at Samuels Public Library. But you know that.

Here’s a good exercise for you to consider at your next Work Session: 1) Each supervisor should write down what they consider the Top Three Problems Facing Warren County residents and why it is important to solve those problems. 2) They should then write down ways and means that they think will solve the problems 3) Next, they should describe what they did the previous week to address those problems and finally 4) Describe what they plan to do the following week to address them. It would be great to share with county residents any consensus that is reached through this exercise and discussions.

Another exercise to improve your listening skills and your job performance would be to hold Constituent Town Hall Sessions at least once each quarter. They need only be 45 mins to an hour long to keep you in touch with how the people in your district are feeling. Not everyone has time or the inclination to write to you. Wouldn’t it be helpful to know their concerns, worries and the things that they are happy about too?

Had you done such district town hall meetings in 2024, I guarantee you that you would not have been hearing complaints about Samuels Public Library from the people in your districts.

I won’t speculate on your reasons for starting this fire, but one thing is clear, it was not because community members were displeased with Samuels Public Library, complaining about it, or suspicious of corruption there. It was not about financial impropriety on the part of Samuels Public Library. That would mean that you aren’t smart enough to see that the books are clean and I believe that you are smart enough to see that. If you ever choose to disclose your real reasons, it will be interesting to learn what they are. As of today, I, along with a large portion of the population, only know what your reasons weren’t. We also know how much trouble you have caused. It is time for that trouble to be over. I hope you are up to the hard work of really solving problems for Warren County. That you will apologize, make amends, and roll up your sleeves to do that work.

Let’s see how much you really can do to make Warren County a wonderful place to live!

Kelli Hart – North River District
Front Royal, VA

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