Reading between the library lines

It’s Wednesday, so let’s talk about our favorite troublemaker.

John “Library Guy” Labriola is crowing because the Library Governing Board last week removed two library advisory board members and appointed three new members.

Library Guy is taking credit, though I’m unsure what victory he has attained. The libraries are no more or less vulnerable to attack today than they were last week.

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The way some people reacted, you’d think Library Guy and his clones were all appointed, and it’s only a matter of time before all the dictionaries are removed. Nothing like that happened.

Two of the three new members have an extensive background in libraries or education. The third new member is a retired teacher and coach. None of the three are on the Library Guy Gang roster.

Still, it is a cause for concern. Let’s break it down.

First off, people serve on these boards at the County Commission’s pleasure. That means they can be removed for whatever reason.

That said it’s rare for commissioners to remove incumbent members of volunteer boards. They tend to appreciate that volunteerism.

Most of these boards operate in relative obscurity. That generally makes reappointments fairly routine.

Last month, though, the County Commission did something odd. When it came to appointments to the Planning and Development Commission, it inexplicably removed one member, Robert Bass, and replaced him with someone else.

During the entire deliberation, commissioners discussed only the applicants’ resumes. Not a word on whether Bass was a good planning commissioner, bad one, or somewhere in between. With no warning or even rationale, commissioners simply removed him.

It’s a big deal because the PDC, unlike most boards, carries a lot of weight. It’s the first line of public review for all these big zoning cases. And, unlike most advisory boards, the PDC has the final say in some instances.

Yet, commissioners didn’t think twice about removing a sitting board member and replacing him with someone else.

The same thing happened with the library advisory board. Two veteran members, April McLaughlin and Neale Brennan, were tossed aside for two new appointees. The third appointment filled a vacant spot.

I didn’t attend the meeting, so all I know is what I read in the Chronicle story. Most concerning is this comment from Commissioner Diana Finegan:

“We need to stay out of the fray.”

Totally agree. However, it’s ludicrous to suggest anyone on the library board instituted the fray. That label belongs exclusively to Labriola and his minions, who consistently speak untruths about our library system. We had no “fray” until Library Guy rode his dragon into town.

A few other points:

— Is this a win for the Library Guy Gang? Technically, yes. They wanted McLaughlin and Brennan off the library board, and they’re off the library board. Unfortunately for their anti-everything crusade, however, it appears the new appointees are level-headed and unlikely to succumb to their weirdness.

— What’s the downside? With three new appointees, this makes for a very inexperienced board. McLaughlin and Brennan had eight and seven years, respectively, meaning they’ve gone through the Library Guy fiasco from the start.

The most experienced member, Edith Ramlow, was first appointed in 2007 and just reappointed last week. No other member has more than four years on the board.

That makes it easier for a weasel — not mentioning any names — to manipulate board members for his twisted cause. It isn’t easy being on a public board, trying to deliberate and listen while a room full of people puts the fear of Hades into you. Library Guy knows this; the more confusing the better. He thrives on chaos.

— Are we in trouble? Not by a long shot. You see, despite Library Guy’s claiming victory over this minor appointment, he just can’t get any traction in Citrus County.

The citizens of this county in 2022, in large part reacting to Just Wright Citrus blogs, saw Library Guy’s end game before he did. They showed up in force at County Commission meetings to offset the gibberish offered by Library Guy and his followers.

County commissioners are now wary of all things library. They listen politely to citizens on all sides of the issue but are unlikely to do anything crazy.

All elements of surprise are removed. We know the punchline while they’re still telling the joke.

So, go for it, Library Guy. Give us your best. We’ll wait.

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