Tony Carter Talks Library, Growth, and Experience in Run for Happy Creek Supervisor

In an interview with the Royal Examiner, former Warren County Supervisor Tony Carter explained why he’s running again for the Board of Supervisors, this time to represent the Happy Creek District. Carter, who previously served 20 years on the Board and 7.5 years on the Front Royal Town Council, says his decision to return was sparked by a November meeting where he felt important historical context was missing from current county conversations.

“Decisions are being questioned without people knowing the background,” Carter said, referencing a debate about the purchase of the Villa Avenue community center. He explained that the county bought the property with help from a federal grant because the old youth center was in a floodplain and couldn’t qualify for funding. That investment, he said, has paid off—both in value and in how the building is used today.

Library Controversy

Carter said the Samuels Public Library debate has become the central issue in the election, dividing candidates into “pro-library” and “anti-library” camps. He supports the library, saying he helped negotiate the current building agreement when he was previously on the Board.

“Samuels serves everyone,” Carter said. While he acknowledges some concerns about age-appropriate books, he believes parents should be involved and that the library already has safeguards in place.

He worries that current talks of replacing the library with a for-profit operator are unrealistic. “Samuels owns the books, and there’s no other building,” he said. “This could end up in court, and the only winners would be the lawyers.”

Views on Data Centers and Water

Carter expressed serious doubts about data centers, calling the issue a distraction from the library debate. He pointed out that while data centers bring revenue to places like Loudoun County, Warren County may not have the water resources to support them.

“You could walk across the Shenandoah River in the 1930s,” Carter said. “Water is a real concern, and we’ve already had to enact water conservation in recent years.”

Experience With Growth and Schools

Carter emphasized his past work on school construction and infrastructure, listing several completed projects, including new schools and renovations to existing ones. He pointed out that many residents may not know how far the county has come.

“We couldn’t even fix broken windows in the ‘90s,” he said. “Now we’ve modernized our schools and saved money through smart borrowing.”

He also highlighted his involvement in building fire stations and expanding emergency services coverage, saying public safety must continue to be a priority.

Economic Development and Tourism

On economic development, Carter said planning is easy, but follow-through is harder—especially when government leadership frequently changes. He stressed the need to attract the right businesses that match the county’s needs and resources.

Carter also mentioned the need for better collaboration between the town and county on tourism and suggested revisiting older plans with fresh eyes instead of dismissing them as outdated.

Transparency and Voter Choice

As for government transparency, Carter supports it—but warns that too much information, poorly presented, can overwhelm the public. “Agendas used to be 100 pages. Now they’re 800 to 1,000,” he noted.

He concluded by encouraging residents to get involved and vote in the June 17 primary. “People deserve a choice,” he said. “And I’ve always made decisions based on what’s best for Warren County.”