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Residents urge Leesburg to drop BookPage subscription and consider ‘Charlie Kirk’ remembrance day
Summary
Several residents told the commission the BookPage magazine is politically one-sided and asked the city to stop spending tax dollars on the subscription; one speaker also requested the commission declare Oct. 14 a Charlie Kirk day of remembrance.
John Labriola of the Christian Family Coalition told the commission the BookPage magazine "pushes left wing themes" and argued the city should end its subscription, saying it is a waste of taxpayer dollars. "We're just asking you to remove this 1 line item from your budget," he said.
Other members of the public, including Gail Carlins and Laura Conyers, echoed Labriola's concerns and urged the commission to reallocate the small line item. Carlins said some titles in the publication are inappropriate for children and noted the material is available online. Conyers added she believed the magazine did not promote conservative authors and described the subscription as a misuse of taxpayer dollars.
The exchange took place during the public-comment portion of the July 27 meeting; commissioners did not take immediate action on the request but heard comments from multiple residents. Staff did not present a recommendation on eliminating the subscription during the meeting.
