New Year, New Officers, Same Old Fight Over Samuels Public Library Operations and Financing

In its first meeting of 2025, on Tuesday evening, January 7, the Warren County Board of Supervisors began with a 5 p.m. two-topic Closed Session before convening to its regular, open meeting only slightly late at 7:04 p.m. That Closed/Executive Session largely focused on applications and eventual appointments to the board’s newly created Warren County Library Board for which it will have full appointment authority despite Samuels Public Library’s status as an independent sub-contracting 501-C3 entity with its own experienced Board of Trustees on which the board of supervisors chairman is appointed as a County representative.

The Closed Session’s other topic was legal consultation “regarding specific legal matters” those matters “being the Board of Supervisors Meeting Policy and Procedures.” That topic, listed as item I-12 on a 16-item Consent Agenda, was later removed from the meeting’s agenda.

We can only wonder at how much input County Administrator Ed Dlaey or County Attorney Jason Ham might have had in the 5 p.m. Closed Session convened two hours prior to the open meeting. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Another topic removed from the agenda was a “Staff Award Recognition from the Governor’s Office” for the County Department of Social Services. We are guessing that latter item was removed due to the snow and suggested travel restrictions preventing a governor’s office official from making it to the county to make the presentation.

Two items were added to the agenda, Item J, regarding the Board Meeting Schedule for the coming year; and Item K, Ratification of Emergency Declaration. Both items were added by 5-0 votes on a motion by John Stanmeyer, second by Vicky Cook. Both items were later approved near the meeting’s end by unanimous votes, Item J on a motion by Jamieson, second by Cullers; and Item K on a motion by Stanmeyer, second by Cullers.

The Consent Agenda as amended was also approved unanimously on a motion by Jamieson, second by Stanmeyer.

Officers Elected

As the Open Meeting began just after its officially advertised starting time of 7 p.m., County Administrator Ed Daley polled the board on the annual appointment of officers, the board’s chairman and vice-chairman. Fork District representative Vicky Cook made both nominations, of current Vice-Chairman “Jay” Butler as chairman and John Stanmeyer as vice-chairman. Both nominations were approved by 5-0 votes.

After officer elections the supervisors take their new seating alignment with Chairman Butler center-stage, Vice-Chairman Stanmeyer to Butler’s right, and former Chairman Cullers to Stanmeyer’s right, with Jamieson and Cook holding their old seats on the far right of photo.

Critics of New County Library Board

Following approval of the agenda as amended, Chairman Butler convened the Public Comments (7:12 Linked County video mark) on non-agenda items portion of the meeting. In reading the “rules of engagement” for public behavior during public comments at board meetings the new chairman noted that breaking of the rules including disparaging remarks at other involved parties could lead to one being asked to leave the premises and failure to comply could lead to arrest and a fine of up to $2,500 and as much as 12 months in jail.

Two of the six speakers, Nancy Smith (# 4 at 16:26 Linked Video mark) and Bethany O’Neill (# 6 at 32:40 Linked Video mark) were highly critical of the board’s December 10th, 4-1 majority decision, Cullers dissenting, to move forward with the new Warren County Library Board creation with a number of unanswered questions remaining.

Some have asserted that those remaining question appeared largely due to a failure of the supervisors seeking the library oversight change to involve Samuels Library officials in a discussion of the necessity or lack thereof for the change, which depending on the nature of the appointments has the potential to give the county’s elected officals increased operational control of the library.

Citing the December 10 meeting that went to 2 a.m. to accommodate the 116 speakers signed up to comment on the issue, fourth speaker Nancy Smith asserted that while what she said was an 86% majority of citizen public speakers, or 110 of 116, speaking against the creation of the new County Library Board, the supervisors 4-person majority went ahead with approval of the necessary code change to enable the new board’s creation anyway.

“I thoughtfully prepared my comments,” Smith said of her Public Comments remarks of December 10, adding, “I naively believed that you would listen to everyone who shared their thoughts, that you would weigh all that was said, and that you would table the vote so that you could make a wise and careful decision. But that wasn’t the case.

“It was obvious that Stanmeyer, Butler, Jamieson, and Cook had already made their decision before the meeting,” Smith asserted. She continued to note her observations of two supervisors, Stanmeyer and Cook, reading from prepared statements in prefacing their votes. She then referenced a reported conversation Butler had with his wife prior to the meeting in which he explained why the meeting was likely to go into the early morning hours due to the number anticipated to sign up to speak to the pending County Library Board vote.

“Well, that should be an easy decision,” Smith quoted Mrs. Butler telling her husband in favor of creation of the County Library Board prior to hearing from their constituents on the matter.

Smith then pointed to Jamieson’s half-hour, graphics-assisted, power-point presentation, also accompanied by reading from a prepared “script” Smith asserted, justifying his coming vote in favor of the new County Library Board regardless of what had just been heard from an overwhelming majority, either 100 (this reporter’s count) or 110 (Ms. Smith’s count), of that evening’s 116 public speakers.

“You clearly had your mind made up,” Smith said to Jamieson.

Samuels Library supporters Nancy Smith above, and Bethany O’Neil expressed their disappointment at the board’s four-member majority, excluding Cheryl Cullers, rush to judgement on library oversight realignment making it possible, some might say likely, that majority appoints a sometimes self-identified religious minority involved in the 2023 library book removal effort to a majority position on the new WC Library Board.

Second pro-library Public Comments speaker Bethany O’Neil noted her distress at the board majority having its mind made up to move forward with its library agenda prior to hearing from a huge majority of speakers present. That public majority was seeking at least the tabling of a County Library Board enabling vote until more information could be gathered, and questions answered regarding both operations and funding parameters of the community’s historic public library, the second oldest public library provider certified in Virginia, dating to 1799.

“I wanted to experss how bummed I am that after the hours-long meeting when you voted to create a Warren County Library Board. I feel like you didn’t listen to your constituents as it seemed you had made up your mind before the 100-plus community members spoke in support of Samuels Public Library,” O’Neil told the supervisors, adding, “I agree with Nancy who spoke earlier. How can we feel confident our voices will be heard during public comments if it’s so blatantly evident what your agenda is,” O’Neil concluded pointedly, with a concluding “thank you” for the opportunity to be heard, if not necessarily listened to.

A number of library supporters have verbalized suspicions that the creation of the new supervisor-appointed library board is a thinly disguised effort to resurrect the failed 2023 public sector effort to remove certain topics, particularly LGBTQ references, from the library’s book shelves. Supporters of Virginia’s Library of the Year 2024, have publicly questioned several supervisors, Butler and Jamieson in particular, seeming direct or indirect involvement in support of that library censorship effort.

Supervisors supporting the new board’s creation have cited increased operational control due to the amount of county citizen tax money contributed to library operations. Library supporters have countered that, that contribution equates to 1-cent on the dollar of the County’s tax revenue usage. They have also noted that Library fundraising helps propel portions of the library’s internal operational budget, thus reducing library dependence on county tax revenue.

In fact, the threatened to be withheld County public library funding in the midst of the 2023 censorship discussion that seemed to launch much of the financial oversight and tax expenditure debate, revolved around the County-initiated loss of its Public Works Department repair and maintenance work on the Samuels Library building and grounds, both of which are owned by the County. As a rule, the library pays for physical upgrades and material repairs and additions inside the building.

And now-retired, former five-term Happy Creek Supervisor Tony Carter noted at a previous supervisors meeting as the new County Library Board effort was developing, that the library budget oversight system in place now essentially gives the board of supervisors the same amount of financial oversight of the library as with any other sub-contracted entity or county department.

At a late 2024 BOS meeting, 5-term, retired Happy Creek Supervisor Tony Carter tells the County’s current elected officials the existing County-Public Library oversight system provides the same budgetary scrutiny and authority the board has with all it contractors and departments.

Stay tuned, sports and library fans to see who the supervisors appoint to its new County Library Board. Will it include enthusiastic library patrons and supporters, or only applicants who are part of that alleged “silent majority” some claim exists out of the public eye in support of the current supervisor majority quartet’s library oversight efforts?

Other Public Comments

Former reformed EDA Board Chairman Scott Jenkins also spoke during the Public Comments portion of the meeting (14:10 linked video mark). He urged the supervisors to pay close attention to an approaching final draft of an update to the County’s Comprehensive Plan, as it will guide decision making at all levels in future development proposals. That topic was a major part of the County Planning Commission’s 12 Public Hearings agenda on Wednesday, January 8. Stay tuned for a Royal Examiner update on that meeting, public hearing citizen comments, and resultant Commission discussion.

Sheriff Crystal Cline also spoke during the January 7th Public Comments (28:30 linked video mark), explaining it was the easiest procedural way to be added to the agenda at this late point. Sheriff Cline addressed procedures and information dissemination surrounding the recent stolen car, discovery of explosives, and joint agency decision to detonate rather than try to move some of those devices.

Sheriff Crystal Cline addresses the stolen car, explosive devices discovery incident and response during Public Comments. A key element is the multi-agency response headed by WCSO and County Fire & Rescue was executed successfully without injury to any citizens or responding personnel, a primary directive for her and all involved departments.

Other public comments included John Jenkins (7:23 Linked Video mark) on the County budget in general and its impact on real estate taxes for himself and other homeowners.

And local attorney and proprietor of the Virginia Beer Museum David Downes (10:31 Linked Video mark), attired in appropriate garb acknowledged the coming statewide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War, and Virginia’s pivotal role in that war of independence from the British Empire.

A Revolutionary War-attired David Downes lauded the supervisors for their support of the recent monument realignment centered at the Courthouse lawn, as the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War celebration begins in Virginia this coming year.

Click here to watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Meeting of January 7, 2025.