Randolph County adopts new library ordinance and bylaws after heated public comment

The Randolph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday adopted a revised ordinance and accompanying bylaws that change how the county'9s library trustees are appointed and set term limits for trustees.

The move followed a lengthy public comment period in which dozens of residents, faith leaders and library advocates urged both support for and against the changes. Several speakers, including Judith West and Jennifer Swanner, said the previous trustees complied with statutes and argued the county'9s removal of the earlier board raised legal and procedural concerns. "Removing public officials mid-term without statutory cause and procedural safeguards is not a policy disagreement, it is a due process violation," said Charlie White, who invoked Article I, Section 19 of the North Carolina Constitution and the 14th Amendment in calling for reinstatement of the prior board.

County staff told commissioners the revised documents were drafted to align the library trustees'9 procedures with other county boards and to add clarity and term limits. Ben (county staff) said the main changes were standardizing the bylaws, adding three-year term limits and setting how initial staggered terms would be assigned to ensure turnover. Commissioners debated the length of initial terms for Randleman and Ramsuer branches and agreed to swap their initial term lengths before voting.

Commissioners also discussed how to recruit and vet trustee candidates going forward. Jennifer Eagle, who identified herself as holding a library degree, pressed the board for transparency about qualifications, the application process and whether members of the public could apply. The board directed staff to make application materials publicly available and discussed maintaining an applicant pool to improve selection options.

The board approved the ordinance and bylaws by voice vote after amending the initial term assignments; the clerk recorded the documents as adopted. The ordinance will govern future nominations and specify staggered terms and term limits; the board did not reinstate the prior trustees.

The adoption is procedural and administrative: commissioners may still be subject to legal challenge if plaintiffs allege the earlier removals violated law. The board said it will publish the application process and accept nominations for the new trustee vacancies.

The meeting concluded with commissioners directing staff to post a standardized application and to return with details on the candidate-review process.