Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library Advisory Board Appointment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Largo commission appoints Eric Gerard to Library Advocacy Board after contentious public comments, 4–3
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment and debate over conduct at a recent library meeting, the City Commission voted 4–3 to confirm former commissioner Eric Gerard to a Library Advocacy Board seat that runs through Nov. 2026.
The City Commission of the City of Largo voted 4–3 on Nov. 4, 2025, to appoint former Commissioner Eric Gerard to the Library Advocacy Board for the remainder of a four‑year term that expires Nov. 2026.
The appointment followed extensive public comment. Adam Sarlo told commissioners he was "personally insulted" at an Oct. 16 library advisory meeting and asked the commission to reject Gerard’s appointment, saying, "Eric, your comments were offensive." Aiden Barnes, a new advocacy‑board member, told the commission she had been "personally attacked" and said Gerard’s "divisive rhetoric should not be tolerated." Several speakers — including Stacy Geyer, who offered herself as an alternate appointee — urged the commission to reconsider the nomination to preserve respectful board meetings.
Vice Mayor Holmes, who moved the appointment, said he nominated Gerard after outreach revealed a shortage of volunteers and defended his decision: "I let do it again. I don't care. You know, if it's good." Commissioner Smith and others acknowledged citizens’ concerns but said they would hold board members accountable if they observed inappropriate conduct. Planning‑board chair Matthew Faustini warned against politicizing future volunteer appointments, saying removing nominations from the consent agenda could become a recurring political tactic.
Eric Gerard addressed the commission for three minutes and apologized "if I gave any impression at all that I was disparaging to the Largo Police Department," calling that "a complete error" and saying he respected the department. He also summarized decades of volunteer service in Largo, including past roles on the commission, planning board and library foundation.
Vice Mayor Holmes moved to approve the appointment "for the remainder of a 4 year term, which will expire November 2026." The motion was seconded and passed with four affirmative votes and three opposed; the roll call names were not read into the record during the vote announcement.
The commission chair said that if a board member later behaved in a way "not in the best interest of the city," the commission has removed people from boards in the past and could do so again. Gerard’s appointment takes effect immediately and his term is recorded to end Nov. 2026.
What happens next: The Library Advocacy Board will continue its work; commissioners and the commission liaison to the board said they will monitor future meetings and address any behavior that rises to the level warranting removal.
