Warren County supervisors approve ordinance creating county library board after hours of public comment

The Warren County Board of Supervisors voted 4–1 on Dec. 10 to adopt an ordinance creating a Warren County Library Board, a move supporters said would restore taxpayer representation over roughly $1.2 million in annual county funding and opponents warned could jeopardize an award‑winning public‑private partnership.

The vote followed an extended public hearing that ran into the late evening and featured well over a hundred speakers. Supervisor Jamieson, who co‑authored the report recommending the change, framed the measure as a routine alignment of governance with public funding: ‘‘Taxpayers provide the bulk of the funding for library services and should have representation,’’ he said during board discussion. Jamieson cited data in the committee report showing large shares of library funding coming from county, town and state sources and said a county board would allow competitive procurement and more direct fiscal oversight.

Library leaders and hundreds of supporters told the board that Samuels Public Library — a 225‑year‑old public‑private institution recently named Virginia Library of the Year — is well run, publicly…