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Stafford supervisors retract ‘misconduct’ finding for library trustee Mary Basilia, later censure colleague
Summary
After weeks of public pressure, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted to strike the word “misconduct” from July minutes related to Mary Basilia’s removal from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Board and unanimously approved amending the record; the board later voted to censure Supervisor Monica Gary over conduct during the removal process.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 17 unanimously removed the word “misconduct” from the July 10, 2024 minutes that recorded the removal of library trustee Mary Basilia, saying the board now believes some information provided during the earlier deliberations was inaccurate and misleading.
“Upon further investigation and review, the board has determined that certain information initially presented during the decision‑making process was inaccurate and misleading,” Chair Meg Baumke said as she read a statement to open the meeting. The board voted to authorize the clerk to amend the official minutes to remove the term and to pursue a fuller investigation into the facts, a motion that passed 7‑0.
Basilia, who addressed the board during the public‑comment period, said the removal was “done without one shred of evidence,” that she received no opportunity to respond and that she had expected an apology. “Tonight, I was told there would be an apology. There was not an apology. There was a statement,” she said.
Multiple residents—including Basilia’s husband, son and other longtime volunteers—had urged the board to correct the record and to treat citizen volunteers with greater transparency and procedural fairness. “We were given information that was not accurate,” said Supervisor Diggs in his remarks to Basilia. “I am deeply sorry and I apologize. We were given information and it wasn’t accurate.”
After the board amended the minutes, a separate resolution to censure Supervisor Monica Gary for actions related to the library removal process was introduced, debated and approved later in the meeting. The censure resolution named specific provisions of the board’s code of performance and removed Gary’s assignments to boards and committees appointed by the board.
The censure passed by a 5‑vote majority with one abstention from Doctor Young; supervisors who supported the censure said their follow‑up investigation showed the information provided to the board had come from Supervisor Gary and was not supported by the evidence the board later reviewed. Supervisor Gary characterized the censure as retaliation, said she was exercising free speech and denied that she provided misleading information.
The board also directed staff to consider procedural changes to allow an individual discussed in closed session greater opportunity to present their side and to develop safeguards for volunteer appointees. Several supervisors said the episode illustrated a need for clearer closed‑session protocols and improved communication with citizens.
The board’s action on the minutes and the censure were both recorded on the public record at the Dec. 17 meeting. The board additionally said it will continue an internal review of the matter and consider policy changes next year.
