Remaining Supervisors Deadlock at 2-2 on Installing Lone Fork District Ballot Candidate to Finish Cook Term

Perhaps the most interesting item on the Warren County Board of Supervisors’ work session agenda on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, was the final item on its agenda prior to adjournment. That item was a discussion of filling the now-vacant seat of resigned Fork District representative Vicky Cook. Cook resigned on September 3rd, the day after the board’s last meeting, at which the anti-Samuels Public Library funding majority of four were branded a “Catholic Taliban” seeking to dictate what type of reading material county citizens at large were allowed access to, particularly regarding LGBTQ issues.

And while Cook, along with Chairman “Jay” Butler, appeared to be considered unexplained allies of that negatively stereotyped, religiously motivated board membership, she did not escape some harsh Public Comments criticism of her anti-library funding stance. It should be noted here that neither Cook nor Butler is running for re-election in November.

Above, at the Sept. 2nd BOS meeting, Rebecca Altizer raised the specter of religiously motivated legislative initiatives to attack the board majority’s stance on defunding Samuels Public Library. Below, while Vicky Cook, along with ‘Jay’ Butler, appeared to be peripheral to that ‘Catholic Taliban’ description, Cook especially was not immune to criticism for her support of library defunding. The following day, Cook resigned, citing escalating family commitments. Royal Examiner File Photos

That election will determine the board’s seating in two of its five districts, as well as the possibility of a new majority outlook on issues like Samuels Library funding, as well as annual Fiscal Year budget funding decisions in general. That potential shift in a board majority will begin in January when the newly elected Fork and Happy Creek District representatives take office. Right now, the front-runners for those seats appear to be Hugh Henry (Fork) and Tony Carter (Happy Creek). Both have indicated strong support for the County refunding of its share of the 501 (c) (3) non-profit Samuels Public Library’s annual budget.

About that empty Fork District seat

It was the current lone dissenting board voice on the Samuels Library and other funding decisions, South River District’s Cheryl Cullers, who began the Cook replacement discussion (3:00:06 Linked County video mark). Her stance was that in the wake of primary results indicating a large, involved pro-Samuels Library funding public majority, why wait until January to seat the lone remaining Fork District ballot candidate, Samuels Library funding supporter Hugh Henry.

Cullers pointed out that currently Henry does not even have an announced write-in opponent at this time. But if one were to appear leading up to the November election, she pointed to the traditionally long-shot of write-in candidates winning elections in suggesting that the remaining candidate, Henry, a current County Planning Commission member, be appointed now if he agreed

South River Supervisor Cheryl Cullers urged the board to install heavy Fork District electoral favorite, currently unopposed, Hugh Henry, a few months early to replace resigned Fork District Supervisor Cook. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Anti-Samuels funding board spokesperson Richard Jamieson (3:00:50 video mark) suggested that the board take applications and seek to appoint someone whose opinions coincided with the departed Fork District Supervisor they would be replacing through the end of the year.

Fellow anti-Samuels funding supervisor John Stanmeyer (3:03:17 video mark) wondered if the board wouldn’t be creating issues for the County Planning Department if it suddenly appointed one of its County Planning Commission members anticipated to be there through the end of the year or close to it.

At one point in the discussion Chairman Butler called for a polling of the four remaining supervisors on Cullers’ idea of appointing the lone announced candidate for Cook’s now vacant seat. Perhaps surprisingly Chairman Butler voted with Cullers, with Jamieson and Stanmeyer against, creating a 2-2 deadlock with no 5th member to break the tie.

With no tiebreaking vote in sight, the 4-member WC Board of Supervisors was deadlocked at 2-2 on the idea of appointing early the likely Fork District winner in the November election. That candidate, current WC Planning Commission member Hugh Henry, said he thought the early appointment could benefit, not just himself, but his district and the entire newly structured board come January.

Butler explained his supporting the appointment by noting that Henry remained the lone announced candidate, with what he predicted was a 98.9% chance of winning Cook’s vacated seat in November. If it was a competitive race the board chairman said he would have voted to send applications out for the seat.

Following Henry’s comments cited below, Deputy County Administrator Jane Meadows revisited the board’s timeline and processes for appointing a replacement Fork District supervisor to run out Cook’s term.

Henry weighs in on early appointment

Present to listen to the board agenda discussion of various county departmental initiatives, implementation and funding statuses, Henry was allowed to come to the podium to address the early placement discussion (3:07:00 video mark).

“For me personally, and I think for the Fork District it would make a great opportunity to make a soft transition. We’ve got a new county administrator that’ll be on board. And provided I do win the election in November, my odds are very good, I mean it’s not a granted, I’m not conceited enough to think it’s done, write-ins have won before but provided I can win the election and do so, coming in January 1st a couple of new seats, new county administrator, (serving) for the rest of the year it would give me an opportunity to already learn (the administrator) and work with the remainder of the board to finish out the rest of Ms. Cook’s term.

“And then I think it would make for a smoother transition in January because we’ll have one (additional) new member as Chairman Butler didn’t run any more. So, I think obviously someone else is going to be in that seat, so instead of getting two new members,” Henry was cut off by Chairman Butler, who pointed out he was “retiring” at the end of the year, drawing some laughter, including Henry’s, at his “clarification” as Henry continued to observe, “So, instead of getting two new members in January to get integrated, it’ll only be one since I’ll have a few months to get to work with you guys and acquainted with staff.”

Hugh Henry told the 4 remaining county supervisor members he was prepared to accept an early appointment if offered, adding that he had 2 potential replacements in place to take his seat on the County Planning Commission if appointed to the BOS early.

As to the impact on the planning commission, Henry responded that he already had two potential planning commission replacements contacted about taking over his seat, the leading one being Ryan Oakes, whom Henry identified as a local contractor like himself, with a decent handle on planning commission and departmental issues, with a backup he identified as Paul Barnhart with whom he has discussed coming out of retirement if necessary to fill his planning commission seat.

So, clearly Henry indicated to the remaining board members who would make the decision on filling the Fork District seat to run out the year, that he was prepared to take on the early appointment if it was offered to him by the board.

The “odds in Vegas”

Stay tuned, local governmental games fans as we wait to see if the board can get past its 2-2 deadlock on appointment of the lone, currently announced candidate for the Fork District seat vacated by Vicky Cook on September 3rd. And if we were taking bets we wonder what the “odds in Vegas” would be that the anti-Samuels Library funding supervisor opponents of Henry’s early appointment can influence a like-minded constituent to announce that write-in challenge of Henry to try and secure Chairman Butler’s current vote in favor of the appointment.

Other Business

As to other business at the work session, the board was briefed by staff in a number of directions, those included:

Community-supporting programs offered by or through County Departments including Parks & Recreation (Share the Air youth anti-smoking), Social Services (CPS, Permantcy, and Prevention directed toward at-risk youth and families);

Youth involved in the Parks & Rec sponsored ‘Share the Air’ youth anti-smoking initiative and program graphic.

Department of Social Services (DSS) directors involved in programs to aid at-risk youth and their families.

Land acquisition initiatives by Shenandoah National Park and the Battlefield Foundation;

The creation of an Economic Development Consultant’s position on County staff;

A Rockland Athletic Park Project Update, and;

A Quarterly update on Board of Supervisor Goals and Objectives

See the Linked County video for details, including some Power Point presentations on some topics, including a detailed report by Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline on her 10-day experience in the national and internationally attended federal law enforcement program she was chosen to participate in;

Sheriff Crystal Cline was enthusiastic about her 10-day involvement in a federal law enforcement instructional program targeting, not only national, but international law enforcement members. It was fun but sometimes it was tough physically, as well as rewarding intellectually, Sheriff Cline told the supervisors.

An update by Public Works Director Mike Berry on upgrades at the County-overseen Front Royal Airport (FRR), particularly in hangar development and other physical plant upgrades that could factor into increased tourism interest in the county; Finance Director Alisa Scott on financial operations and statuses; IT Director Todd Jones on development of expanded APB and Broadband services

WC Public Works Director Mike Berry focused a portion of his presentation on capital improvements at the County-overseen Front Royal Airport (FRR).

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 Click here to Watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Work Session of September 9, 2025