Faced With Overwhelming Public Opposition to Public Library Provider Switch, Supervisors Delay Vote on LS&S Contract

(Writer’s note: this story has been updated to reference Royal Examiner video marks, as opposed to County video marks originally referenced. Both the new marks and original ones remain valid with their respectively linked videos.)

The topic of most public interest at the June 3rd meeting of the Warren County Board of Supervisors was addressed, first, behind closed doors at a scheduled 6 p.m. Closed Meeting primarily on public library issues. Those issues included legal advice on the board’s FOIA filings to Samuels Library, with legal disputes looming.

Perhaps most crucially discussed behind closed doors was the remaining 14 years on a 30-year, dollar-a-year lease granted to Samuels Library in January 2008 by a previous board of supervisors. That lease is likely indicative of the long-term nature and history of the Public/Private Partnership between Warren County elected officials and the public library entity dating to 1799, which evolved into the Samuels Public Library 501-C3 non-profit, circa the 1950s.

The supervisors and County Attorney Jason Ham, bent over table white shirt center, leave the 6 p.m. closed session discussion largely focused on public library issues about a minute prior to the 7 p.m. open meeting’s scheduled start. Royal Examiner still photos Roger Bianchini, video Mark Williams

However, that was THEN, this is NOW.

As readers know, “NOW” contains a 4-1 board majority opinion, Cullers dissenting, that Samuels Library needs to be replaced ASAP (As Soon As Possible) by out-of-state, for-profit library provider Library Systems & Services (LS&S). That attitude exists despite Samuels Public Library’s history of proactive programs for both youth and adult patrons, in addition to its expansive collection of reading material and current status as Virginia’s Library of the Year 2024, with positive family and educational roots spanning generations, as some Public Comments speakers noted on June 3rd.

Delayed vote on LS&S 10-year contract

However, perhaps unexpectedly to many, facing an official meeting headcount of 187 packing the main meeting room into the hallway of the Warren County Government Center (WCGC), from what was observed essentially ALL there, other than County staff, in support of Samuels Public Library, the four-member majority of “replace Samuels” supervisors joined in approving one of their members, John Stanmeyer’s, motion, seconded by Vicky Cook, to delay a vote to allow time for additional information gathering, legal, financial, and otherwise.

Out of the closed session, the supervisors headed into their open meeting with one large decision to make. Below, first Public Comments, initial speaker Eileen Dierig has a full house of fellow Samuels Public Library supporters behind her and into the hallway as Fire & Rescue issued a head-count of those present for the meeting at 187. Not one citizen present, at or away from a microphone, was heard by this reporter to utter a pro-LS&S contract statement.

That information gathering was handed over to the supervisor majority’s recently hand-picked Warren County Library Board, believed by Samuels supporters to be comprised of like-minded, anti-Samuels applicants, headed by Chairman Eric Belk.

The 5-0 vote to delay acceptance of the LS&S contract came after a first round of Public Comments on agenda items (beginning at the 9:30 Royal Examiner video mark), seeing 10 speakers taking up the full allotted time of 30 minutes, 3 minutes max per speaker, all in defense of Samuels and against the issuing of a new, 10-year library contract with out-of-state, for-profit library entity Library Systems & Services (LS&S). It is a contract that would cost the County and its taxpayers $250,000 to cancel in its first year of existence, with that total decreasing by $25,000 per year through the remaining nine years.

As would be the case in the second round of Public Comments (beginning at 1:15:25 Royal Examiner video mark) late in the meeting during what we counted as 14 more speakers, some of the comments directed at the four anti-Samuels supervisors were scathing, often questioning the motivation and truthfulness of those supervisors regarding their reasons for seeking the change in a public library provider, particularly with legal and financial consequences of such a move as yet undetermined.

Samuels Public Library supporters outside the WCGC express their opinions in signage. Below, at 6:50 p.m. the crowd continues to gather inside the main meeting room as the supervisors remained in closed session until about 6:59 p.m.

Is this the legacy you want to leave?

One second-round speaker, Joanne Kearney (1:40:12 video mark), suggested the board majority take pause and consider the long-term truths about how they have come into conflict with, not a 30-person minority of their constituents as one supervisor, we believe Jamieson, has contended, but a broad swath of those they claim to represent.

After saying she was speaking against the LS&S contract, Kearney added, “I’m also here to remind you, like so many of your colleagues and predecessors, you’re failing to look at the long view.

“You may see things like this privatization as a short-term fix to your moral or ethical goals. But you will not be on the board forever. And your legacy won’t be as heroes saving us from ourselves, the big, bad wolf institution, or phantom fiscal malfeasance. Your legacy will be a mess, an abuse of power, and a waste of taxpayer money,” Kearney said pointedly, offering an analogy to a gap in the community’s tourism promotional efforts from past town municipal decisions presented as quick fixes.

Bigger than politics, a community rallies

“I want to talk tonight about something bigger than politics, something stronger than contracts or court battles,” Happy Creek District resident Michelle Smeltzer told the board in opening her comments (1:34:52 video mark), continuing, “I want to talk about community because what’s happening in Warren County right now, what we’ve seen over these past months is people coming together, not just to save a library but to stand up for what’s right to protect something that belongs to all of us.

“You’ve got lifelong residents working side by side with new neighbors, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, putting differences aside, parents, teachers, veterans, business owners, teenagers showing up week after week refusing to be ignored. That’s not division; that’s strength.

“We didn’t ask for this fight, but we sure as heck answered it. And we did it the Warren County way by leaning on each other, rolling up our sleeves, and never backing down. Samuels isn’t just a building, it’s part of our story. And the fact that it’s still here, still open, is because this community kept going through donations, through volunteer hours, through grit. We held the line.

“And we’re not just fighting to protect what we have, we’re fighting to build a future we’re proud of, one where our kids have access to knowledge, where truth matters, public spaces belong to the public, and where decisions are made with the community, not behind its back,” Smeltzer said pointedly to four of the five supervisors she faced, concluding:

“You might still sign this contract, but know this: Warren County was woken up, we found each other, we found our voice, and we’re just getting started because we love this place, we believe in it, and we believe in each other,” Smeltzer concluded to a combination of prohibited clapping and substitute hand waving and air clapping.

Public Comment rules under scrutiny?

It might be noted here that when the first, second round Public Comments speaker Sydney Patton (begins 1:16:08 linked video mark) began shifting her remarks from general cyber-security issues to that issue’s relationship to the proposed new library contract with LS&S, Board Chairman “Jay” Butler interrupted (1:18:05 video mark) to say the library situation had already been addressed. This second Public Comments period was for non-agenda items, not a return to library issues. However, County Attorney Jason Ham interrupted to request an immediate, off-microphone discussion with the chairman and board (1:18:22 video mark). A five-minute recess was called, after which Chairman Butler allowed Patton, who had identified herself as the President-elect effective July 1, of the Friends Of Samuels Library (FOSL) support group, to continue her remarks, it appeared with a reset time clock.

County Attorney Jason Ham is all smiles for the camera as he exits the 6 p.m. closed session after about an hour behind closed doors. Wonder what he told them in there.

Consequently, the following speakers all continued to address the library contract issue despite it having been an agenda item. One might wonder if the decision to allow a second round of Public Comments to focus on an agenda item already discussed will impact future meetings of Public Comments. Could that decision allowing a second round of Public Comments on an agenda item after discussion with the County Attorney indicate a legal issue with the way the board majority has divided agenda and non-agenda items for access by citizen comment? That splitting of public comments has delayed citizen comments on non-agenda items such as the recent public library dispute, which is often several hours later to near the meeting’s end.

Routine Business?

Ironically, perhaps, following the Closed Session library legal variables discussion, at the subsequent 7 p.m. open, regular meeting referenced above, item number H-10 on a 13-item Consent Agenda was approval of the 10-year contract with Library Systems & Services to operate this community’s public library moving forward. That contract is slated to begin on July 1, 2025, the first day of the coming Fiscal year 2026. It is interesting to note that consent agendas are traditionally formulated to vote on what are considered “routine matters” that do not need board public discussion of reasons for the proposed action. One can only wonder at the board majority’s thought process in designating the switch of library providers as “routine business.”

From the board majority perspective, one might consider that the effort to remove Samuels as the community’s public library has become “routine” business for the majority of Stanmeyer, Jamieson, Butler, and Cook. Expectedly, South River District Supervisor Cheryl Cullers pulled item H-10 off the Consent Agenda for board discussion.

Cheryl Cullers was the first supervisor to seat themselves at the dais for the 7 p.m. open meeting. Below, the crowd responded to Cullers’ loan presence at the dais with a rousing ovation. (See this on the Royal Examiner video at :05 mark)

Perhaps indicative of potential legal tie-ups with current public library provider Samuels Public Library is a passage in the Agenda Staff Summary of the  proposed LS&S contract reading, “In the event the Commencement of Services begins at a later date, the Effective Date of the Term of this Agreement shall begin on the first day of the month when such services commence and continue in force for a period of ten (10) years.”

The legal uncertainties include annual costs to void the contract were a change in the board majority perspective to occur post-November 2025 election results. Some suspect such a perspective shift if Tony Carter and Hugh Henry are elected. Both have made support of Samuels Library major points of their campaigns for the Happy Creek and Fork District seats, respectively. If elected, with South River Supervisor Cheryl Cullers continued seating, Samuels would have 3-2 majority support with the addition of Carter and Henry.

BOS candidates Hugh Henry, Fork District (1:37:04 video mark), above, and Tony Carter, Happy Creek District (1:44:55 video mark), both addressed the sitting supervisors in favor of maintaining Samuels Public Library contractual arrangement with the County. As noted above, if both win in November it will shift the board to a 3-2 majority, with Cheryl Cullers, in support of Samuels. But might the current majority hang a $250,000 ‘penalty’ cost on such a realigned board’s desire to cancel that LS&S contract in order to renew the one with Samuels Public Library?

Other Business – Homesteaders initiative

Another topic removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion, also by Cullers, was Item H-9: “Authorization for Parks & Recreation to utilize County-Owned Property on Reliance Road for the Warren County Homesteaders.”

Cullers explained that she did not oppose the Homesteaders’ request; she just believed that additional discussion of other potentially available sites could be beneficial, particularly since VDOT has not yet provided feedback on accessibility issues with the targeted McKay Springs site.

However, her colleagues disagreed with the need to explore the site issue further. On a motion by Jamieson, seconded by Cook, the authorization of the H-9 proposal for the pursuit of use of the property was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Cullers dissenting.

Watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Meeting on the Royal Examiner Video by Mark Williams or the linked County video, which includes the 5:30 p.m. work session with County staff on the necessity of upcoming Zoning and Subdivision Text Amendments.

Or click here and watch the county video, which includes the work session before the meeting.