Emotional Crowd Gathers to See Some County Operational Funding Restored to Samuels Library in Current Fiscal Year

While there were a number of other business items of high public interest on the Tuesday, February 17th Agenda of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, perhaps most prominent an impassioned request for adequate funding for additional personnel in the County’s Fire & Rescue/Emergency Services Departments, it was two public library related items that appeared to draw a large portion of a crowded Warren County Government Center (WCGC) meeting room.

Prior to the 6 p.m. meeting start, a highly pro-Samuels Library crowd gathered in anticipation of progress toward reuniting a long-standing Public Library partnership dating to 1799. Following the vote to move $100,000 in County funding to Samuels this Fiscal Year, the crowd thinned out considerably. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

In the order they appeared on the meeting agenda, those items were,

First, Public Hearing item F-8, Ordinance Repealing Chapter 7 for the formation of a Warren County Library Board;

Second, pulled for discussion from the Consent Agenda, Item I-9, adoption of a Resolution Amending the Fiscal Year 2025/26 County Budget to allow the appropriation of $100,000 to the funding of Samuels Library operations.

Appointed Library Board vote

Item F-8 on dissolution of what many pro-Samuels Library supporters believed to be a group of “yes men” appointed by the former board majority in support of later disproven allegations of a lack of financial accountability by the County’s long-standing Public Library, was approved by a 3-1, with 1 abstention, margin. John Stanmeyer prefaced his abstention, noting his past support of the appointed Library Board and his desire to move past any additional controversies involving it. Anti-Samuels board spokesperson Richard Jamieson cast the lone dissenting vote.

In a somewhat unusual move, Board Chairman Cheryl Cullers made the motion to approve the Library Board dissolution, noting the extreme level of frustration she has faced over the past year-plus dealing with the previous majority’s later-established, unfounded financial accountability attacks. The chair’s motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Tony Carter.

Richard Jamieson, second from far right, appears isolated from his board colleagues in this photo. Some might say it was more than a coincidental perspective in the wake of Tuesday’s meeting.

Item F-8 was introduced at the 2:28:43 mark of the County Video, with the first speaker, Lewis Moten, starting at the 2:29:43 mark. Moten was followed to the podium by 11 more speakers, including Jarred “Parson Brown” Hill (2:41:18 linked video mark), who provided Royal Examiner with a copy of his comments, which echoed others addressing the board on Samuels Public Library issues throughout the meeting. All public speakers on the Library issues deserve a hearing when one has the time to scroll through the lengthy video to those involved passages, including during the Public Comments near the meeting’s opening.

But we will continue here with Hill’s observations to the chair and recently realigned board, creating a new majority of pro-Samuels Library county supervisors.

Like many pro-Samuels Library speakers, Jarred Hill, aka ‘Parson Brown’, became emotional at times, giving his remarks in support of the new board majority’s change of direction on the County’s Public/Private Partnership with Samuels as this community’s proven and award-winning Public Library. That relationship includes multiple beneficial programs for both children and adults.

“Madam Chair – it’s good to see you back in that seat.

“Members of the board,

“The last few years, our community has experienced an unprecedented level of conflict, outrage, bewilderment, and pain as our beloved, historical, award-winning library – Samuels Public Library – was attacked and besieged along with the integrity of our county and the pride of our people.

“I need not re-tell every detail because y’all were there.

“However, as insulting as the unwarranted assault against freedom of speech, freedom to read, and the heritage of our home has been, I stand here today feeling blessed and my spirits lifted, my faith renewed. Because the overwhelming response from our community to stand up, step up, cross political aisles, and come together in solidarity on this issue has rejuvenated civic engagement and brought us together. Folks who might not have otherwise shared common spaces are now joined in common cause …

“This county is more united, collectively engaged, and coordinated than I ever could have imagined.

“All it took was a perverse notion from a tiny guild of dogma-drunk zealots to awaken the force of good neighbors.

“Y’all picked on the wrong library, you bullied the wrong people, and you pissed off the wrong county.

“And We Will Not Yield — It’s time to end this misguided crusade.

“Repeal Chapter 7 and dissolve the Warren County Library Board,” Hill said in closing.

Samuels Library’s operational funding

Also, on a motion by Carter, seconded by Hugh Henry, Consent Agenda Item I-9, the belated operational funding of Samuels at $100,000 for the current Fiscal Year, was approved by a 4-1 vote, Jamieson dissenting.

The staff agenda summary noted this in its EXPLANATION & SUMMARY:

“The Board of Supervisors of Warren County (the ‘Board’) has developed an annual fiscal plan (annual budget) which, except for the public school budget, is for informative and fiscal planning purposes only, and which annual budget is for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. A public hearing was held on June 10 at 7:00 p.m. to receive comments from the public regarding said annual budget, and the Budget was passed by resolution of the Board on June 24, 2025, which included $1,024,000 in funding for the Warren County Library Board, some of which funds have not been spent.

“The Board passed a Resolution on October 7th, 2025, amending the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget and appropriating funds for Warren County, Virginia, from the Warren County Library Board to increase funding for Economic Development by $100,000.

“The Board now desires to amend the Budget to provide $100,000 in funding to Samuel’s Library, Incorporated from the funding that had been budgeted for Economic Development.”

This vote elicited an emotional public reaction from Library supporters present.

Samuels Library Board of Trustees President Melody Hotek rose to express her gratitude for the new Board majority’s positive actions toward re-establishing a working relationship with Samuels as the community’s public library moving forward.

Following those and other item votes, during the “Board Reports” Supervisor Jamieson read from prepared remarks justifying his past statements and actions, and the reasons for eliminating Samuels Library from the Public/Private Community Partnership that has existed indirectly since 1799 and, from the 1950s onward, as Samuels by name.

During Jamieson’s board report, some Samuels Library supporters showed their disdain for his remarks by standing, back to the board dais, at least to Jamieson’s portion of it, as he continued to read.

As North River District Supervisor Richard Jamieson read his self-justifying report on his actions against Samuels Public Library over the past year-plus, many in the crowd rose and turned their backs to him.

Another item, under New Business, was under consideration by the Warren County Board of Supervisors to dissolve the Warren County Finance/Audit Committee. It was noted in the staff prepared agenda that: “On January 20th, the Warren County Board of Supervisors approved the 2026 Supervisor Committee assignments, without selecting a representative to the Warren County Finance/Audit Committee.”

Two potential motions were then included:

First, “I move that the Warren County Board of Supervisors dissolve the Warren County Finance/Audit Committee” or second, “I move that the Warren County Board of Supervisors appoint __________ to the Warren County Finance/Audit Committee.”

The board unanimously agreed to table action on this item until an upcoming meeting when more information on the status of the delayed Fiscal Year 2024 audit is available.

Dr. David Martin was welcomed back into interim administrative duty in Warren County. His first round last year was as Interim Superintendent of County Public Schools. Martin noted he had been on the job as Interim County Administrator for 12 hours and 15 minutes as of Tuesday evening’s meeting.

The meeting also saw the new Interim County Administrator, Dr. Martin, welcomed back into Warren County to help during another Administrative personnel turnover. He previously served as Interim Public Schools Administrator.

The 6 p.m. meeting following a 5 p.m. work session presentation of four more “Outside Agency” budget requests for the coming fiscal year adjourned at 9:18 p.m.

Other actions at the February 17th meeting will be addressed in a coming Royal Examiner story.

Click here to watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Meeting of February 17, 2026.