Columbia County votes to form its own public library system, dissolves advisory board

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved Resolution 25-20 on a consent motion to establish a Columbia County Public Library System, withdraw the county from the Greater Clarks Hill regional library system, create a five-member county library board to be named later and dissolve the Columbia County Library Advisory Board effective immediately.

The resolution replaces the county's advisory board with a new county-controlled library board that the county will appoint. Community Services staff recommended approval at the June 24 meeting.

The change matters because it shifts governance of library policy and public input from an advisory body to a newly appointed board. That prompted public comment during the meeting. Resident Karen Parham told the board she was concerned that dissolving the advisory board removes an established mechanism for public input: “It kinda feels a little bit preliminary to dissolve the Columbia County Library Advisory Board, considering that we're we haven't named anybody to be on that new regional library board. What this does is then it cancels 6 months' worth of meetings where you could receive public feedback.”

A Community Services staff member confirmed Parham's procedural concern when the resident asked whether upcoming advisory-board meetings would be canceled: “Yes. I yes. That that's correct.” The minutes and staff presentation show the new five-member Columbia County board will be named at a later date; the resolution itself does not list appointees or an appointment timeline.

The board moved the item on consent and the motion carried as part of the meeting's consent agenda. The resolution also states the advisory board is dissolved “effective immediately”; staff recommended approval and indicated appointments to the new board will follow in subsequent actions.

The meeting record does not specify when the county will solicit applications or public nominations for the new library board, nor does it provide an interim public-feedback process tied specifically to the library transition. Parham said members of her organization intend to continue attending commissioner meetings and public comment periods to provide input.

The board took the vote as a consent-agenda item and did not debate the resolution on the record. No formal roll-call vote with individual yes/no tallies was read into the minutes for this item at the time it moved on consent.

Members of the public who want additional information or to request a role on the new board should contact county Community Services; the resolution and any future appointment notices will be posted in subsequent meeting materials.