Samuels Public Library Under Fire: A Concerned Citizen Speaks Out

On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at a Warren Co. Board of Supervisors work session, Supervisor Richard Jamieson presented a report of the “Sub-committee report on the 2023 Debrief and Research” regarding Samuels Public Library.  The only members of this sub-committee were Supervisors Jamieson and Cook. Until recently, Supervisor Cook was the BoS representative to the Samuels Library Board of Trustees.

It is disheartening, yet sadly not surprising, that this very critical and negative presentation twisted information and statistics in favor of the goal that Supervisor Jamieson and potentially several others on the BoS espouse—that the county take over complete governance, operation, financial management, and content of SPL.

This appears to reflect a continuation of what was started in 2023 with the book-banning efforts of the “Clean Up Samuels” group.  Thankfully, the efforts of the SPL Board of Trustees and the community rallied, and the book-banning effort was thwarted.

I believe that what is happening now is “Phase 2” of a strategic plan by an ultra-conservative coalition in our community to destroy and ultimately take over and control Samuels Public Library.

Furthermore, it is highly likely that the position stated in this report will destroy the library’s 501(c)3 not-for-profit status. Until very recently, this important public-private partnership has worked exceedingly well and should not be tampered with.

On October 29, 2024, this BoS invited the trustees of SPL to a “work session” after requiring the trustees and staff to answer very specific statements regarding their policies, governance, finances, and budget. The library’s trustees and staff, led by the Chair of the library’s Board of Trustees, responded incredibly professionally and specifically to each of the requested statements raised by the BoS members. Sadly, information gained from this meeting is now unfairly being used against the library, its trustees, its staff, and its mission.

Additionally, former Supervisor Tony Carter recently spoke before the BoS to strongly refute allegations by some current BoS members that previous Board of Supervisors acted inappropriately in decisions regarding SPL.

The Warren County 2024 Comprehensive Plan (Section 6: Library Services, pages 144-146) provides an outstanding overview of the exemplary services and leadership provided by Samuels Public Library.  NOWHERE in this report is any mention of the implied fiscal mismanagement of SPL as presented and in the “Debrief and Research” report.

The SPL Trustees, staff, and others do an OUTSTANDING job of managing resources and complying in every respect with state and federal accounting and reporting requirements.  Samuels Public Library is one of our community’s best assets and one of the BEST INVESTMENTS OF TAX DOLLARS that the county spends!            

What is proposed in this subcommittee report reflects, IMO, an attempt by some BoS members to initiate a hostile takeover of the library.

With only 5 people on our county’s Board of Supervisors, it is concerning how as few as 3 of the current members of the BoS can totally control the fate of and potentially destroy SPL. At least two and up to four members of the Warren Co. Board of Supervisors have publicly stated their bias and should recuse themselves from ANY vote related to Samuels Public Library due to conflict of interest, as specified in Virginia statutes.

A few questions –

–         How ethical was it for the BoS to cut off, without any notice to the library staff, a long-standing, cost-effective partnership for maintenance of the county’s building that houses the library?

–         Why was the SPL Trustee chair not notified of this topic before the work session on Nov. 12, 2024?  She learned of it through an after-the-fact phone call from a constituent.

– Why is the BoS fixated on this minuscule issue with the potential to pare possibly $100,000 from the library’s operating budget instead of attacking the elephant in the room – $11,000,000 annual debt processing? The BoS appears to be fiddling while the taxpayers burn.

–         What groups/organizations/individuals do the supervisors support or participate actively in?  It would seem that alliances with some groups/organizations/individuals thereby pose serious conflicts of interest for individual supervisors who make decisions, such as the library’s governance (see Virginia statutes for disclosure information on conflicts of interest).

–         What would Warren Co./Front Royal be like without an exemplary, award-winning public library that serves the ENTIRE community, as opposed to a library controlled by a small group with a specific point of view?

Sadly, statistics and information, such as those presented in this “Debrief and Research” report, can be manipulated to tell whatever story one wants to tell, even when there is no valid substance to that “story.”

Some members of the BoS appear committed to “fixing something that isn’t broken” to promote a discriminatory agenda that will not be in the best interest of our entire community. This runs the huge risk of destroying our valued and exceedingly important, community-focused Samuels Public Library.

As taxpaying citizens in Warren County and Front Royal, we deserve better, unbiased leadership from members of the Board of Supervisors. Our Library also deserves the same considerations.

Samuels is more than books and more than a library – it’s a lifeline for our community!

A taxpayer who cares about Samuels Library
Front Royal, VA   

The name was withheld due to concerns about potential reprisal.

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