Time to Choose: Correct Course or Face the Voters

I attended, with almost 200 other Samuel Library supporters, the Warren County Board of Supervisors (WCBoS) meeting on Tuesday, June 3. The good news: the contract with LS+S was sent back to the unnecessary WC Library Board. The disappointing and revealing news at that meeting: the Chair of the Supervisors did not want to hear any more comments about the Library during the 2nd round of comments and considered the matter closed, despite almost 200 supporters in attendance. So much for caring about public input. One related comment: wasn’t the County Library Board supposed to be an advisory board to Samuel’s? Now they (the County Board) stand alone as the decision maker, contract negotiations, and have oversight over the library contract??

One week later: a recent press release stated that WCBoS considers all the content of the library the property of the County, despite the fact that the County did not fund the purchase of books, computers, etc. for the facility. Did the County provide insurance coverage for the contents of the Library? The answer is NO. And who is the beneficiary of that comprehensive policy for contents in the Library? The answer is: Samuels LLC … NOT THE COUNTY.

The Samuels Library issue is an issue that this WCBoS created out of thin air. This is by far worse than the wounds the community suffered from the EDA scandal. This is textbook government overreach. At least the EDA scandal was only about money, and we could point to one or a group of individuals, not a body of elected officials, as the culprit(s) who violated the corporate trust of the County populace. Samuels is about the heart of the community.

It is clear that the four horsepersons of the apocalypse are digging in their heels for a long and costly fight in the courts. Do they expect Samuels LLC to roll over and go away??? This means that the County will go to court based on a “wing and a prayer” to convince the Court to side with the County. More wasted County resources’ time and money. And for what purpose? To recreate what has already existed for decades and enter into a 10-year contract that will be more costly for the County?? Details matter. And the four horsepersons dare to throw fiscal responsibility in our faces?? Where is this cost in the current or 2026 budget? And, if the County loses, they may have to pay Samuels LLC legal costs.

For the future, and as a former and current business owner, why would any for-profit or non-profit company want a public/private partnership with WC after this demonstration?

As a former Chairman of the Airport Commission for four years, I experienced firsthand the lack of transparency from some of the current members of the WCBoS. Strange how the County treats its professional citizens who volunteer to provide services and their experience to the community. It is also strange how the County supervisors treat an organization that has spent years working with donors who gave to the library to build a knowledge center of excellence for this community.

We elected representatives to provide a service to the County, irrespective of gender, race, or religion. I am sure that four of the five supervisors probably feel that they have crossed the Rubicon and cannot turn back. They would lose face. In fact, they probably already have lost face and the confidence of the citizens they represent. In fact, reversing course and supporting Samuels would be the most honorable and right thing to do.

THE BALL IS IN THEIR COURT TO CORRECT – OR – THE BALL IS IN OUR COURT TO VOTE THEM AND LIKE-MINDED CANDIDATES OUT OF OFFICE.

Kenneth Roko
Warren County, VA

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