Financial “Oversight” or Just Political Karaoke? A Closer Look at the BOS’s Library Gamble

You know, when the Board of Supervisors breaks into their regular chorus of “Financial Oversight!” like it’s the county’s new theme song, you start to wonder—do they actually know what that means, or are they just really into shouting buzzwords like they’re on a political game show?

Here’s a quick refresher for those playing along at home: financial oversight means keeping an eye on money. Make sure it’s not getting funneled into shady backroom deals, inflatable mascots, or “consultants” with résumés built entirely on smoke and LinkedIn endorsements. It means using tax dollars responsibly. Novel concept, I know.

And yet, for months now, we’ve been told—with the same breathless drama as a reality TV reveal—that the Samuels Library hasn’t been “transparent” with its finances. Scandal! Gasp! Pitchforks! But wait—Vicky Cook sat on the Library Board for a long while. So either:

1. A) She saw something shady and said nothing (because why not keep juicy corruption secrets from the public?), or
   B) She didn’t understand what was going on. At all. Maybe mistook the budget spreadsheet for a brunch menu.

And now she’s helping lead the charge for this… unique plan to hand our public library over to LS&S—a company with a reputation slightly better than that one email prince offering you a fortune in exchange for your bank account. Do a quick Google search and you’ll find more red flags than a Soviet parade. But hey, at least they’re “professional,” right?

Let’s talk numbers, shall we? This contract will cost us taxpayers at least $250,000. That’s a quarter-million dollars we’ll never see again. You might as well throw it into a wood chipper labeled “County Mistakes – Add to Pile.” Honestly, toss it on top of the JLL Tourism Debacle costing us $600k, and roast marshmallows over the smoldering ruins of common sense.

Oversight? Please. This isn’t oversight. This is lack-of-sight, blindfolded decision-making at its finest. At this point, the Board might as well show up to meetings wearing sunglasses at night and ask Siri for budgeting advice.

And that LS&S “unsolicited” proposal? Sent directly to Eric Belk like a love letter from corporate America? Yeah. Sure. Totally random. Just like how I “accidentally” end up with cookies every time I walk past a bakery.

Even if our amazing, knowledgeable, helpful, possibly superhuman library volunteers hang in there (without pay, of course, because who knows what will be in the LS&S budget), what exactly are we losing? Services? Programs? Community trust? All of the above? And how much local control are we handing over when this contract gets signed? (Spoiler alert: LS&S doesn’t  give oversight to the BOS)

Also, remember how the appointment of the new WCLibrary Board—the one that conveniently “solicited the unsolicited bid”—should’ve triggered a public hearing? Yeah, that never happened. Apparently, “transparency” is something this Board only demands from other people. For themselves? Not so much. They’ve mistaken “open government” for a magician’s disappearing act.

It’s not too late to call your BOS members and give them your opinion.  After all, they’re supposed to be singing YOUR song.

Sue Laurence
Front Royal, VA

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