After another marathon commission meeting filled with passionate public comments that exposed sharp ideological divides and showcased the intense local and regional conversation surrounding public libraries, commissioners have now committed to one last-ditch attempt at compromise, with a June 30 deadline looming.

Commissioners moved their regular June 3 meeting to an auditorium at Southwestern Community College after their May 20 meeting generated so much interest that people had to be moved into an overflow room at the commission’s regular meeting place. 

Barricades in front of the auditorium, heavy law enforcement presence, metal detectors and a no-bags policy were all in place, not because of any specific threat but instead out of an abundance of caution, Sheriff Doug Farmer told The Smoky Mountain News that night.  

Roughly 200 people filed in, some wearing yellow in support of the library and others bearing bright red “Jexit” signs — perhaps a prophetic play on Great Britain’s disastrous 2020 “Brexit” from the European Union.

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Opponents of the Fontana Regional Library system brought bright red signs bearing just one word — “Jexit,” a portmanteau of “Jackson” and “exit” that plays upon Great Britain’s 2020 “Brexit” from the European Union. Cory Vaillancourt photo

More than 50 people signed up for their allotted three minutes of public comment, but before they began, Commissioner Michael Jennings attempted to get out in front of what most expected to be another firestorm of criticism.

“I just want to let everybody know that nobody up here at these tables are trying to close any library, and nobody up here is trying to ban any books,” Jennings said with the caveat that unless something changes, he would still support leaving the FRL. His comments were also seen as an attempt to contextualize a statement made by Commissioner Jenny Hooper on May 20 that one option was “to close the library” — a comment repeatedly cited by pro-FRL speakers.

The FRL system, which also includes libraries in Macon and Swain counties, has come under increasing fire from some conservative groups claiming that children’s sections contain inappropriate materials. The regional system grants Jackson County residents access to shared materials, statewide interlibrary loans, consortium pricing for digital resources and a robust IT backbone funded largely by state and grant dollars. It also includes NC Cardinal membership, digital databases and shared programming initiatives that have helped FRL libraries win multiple state awards.

Over the next two hours, nearly 50 people took to the podium to opine on what, exactly, is “inappropriate.” Supporters of the library outnumbered opponents by a five-to-one margin and raised concerns ranging from First Amendment violations to nanny-state overreach to the insinuation that books turn kids gay.

Alan Lomax, a Jackson County resident in his 70s, said he remembered seeing a television documentary when he was 13, and that the interviewees had their faces covered to protect their identities.

“It was the first time in my life I had heard the word ‘homosexuality’ but I knew immediately that they were talking about me … it was the first time in my life that I seriously considered suicide,” Lomax said from the podium in a calm, soft voice that was belied by his trembling knees. “There was obviously a clear and definite intent at that time to erase people like myself, to make us invisible, and yes, I will use the word ‘censor’ us. No one groomed me. No one in my life had ever alluded to the fact that there was such a thing as same-sex attractions. I didn’t come out as a gay man until I was in my late 50s.”

Another profound comment came from nine-year-old Sylva resident Evelyn Craig.

“I need you to understand that I have parents who help me learn and grow. They help me pick out safe books — not an old man from Highlands,” Craig told commissioners. “If you would, look at all the people who showed up today to fight. Now, look at yourselves. You should be ashamed.”

Writer, naturalist and Jackson County resident Adam Bigelow, who brought some levity to the previous meeting by accusing commissioners of treating pro-library constituents as “a bunch of crows out here, just crowing to y’all” and then proceeded to “caw” like a crow for the final 53 seconds of his allotted time, abandoned the theatrics and instead offered commissioners a few lines of ancient Israelite erotic poetry. Bigelow’s comments illustrated just how slippery the slope is, First Amendment notwithstanding.

“How fair and pleasant you are, delectable maiden! You are stately as a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters [of dates]. I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its branches. Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine and the scent of your breath like apples and your kisses like the best wine that goes down smoothly, gliding of lips and teeth,” Bigelow read from his phone. “Now, I haven’t read this book, but it’s there [in the library] and it’s got a lot more racy things in it. I believe y’all call it the Bible.”

Austin Frady, pastor of Old Savannah Baptist Church, said he was speaking on behalf of his congregation in defense of religious perspectives in public settings.

“We respect the First Amendment of our Constitution. Our public library in Jackson County should be a place where information is made available, but ideology is not promoted,” Frady said.  “At the same time, we observe a pattern of programming and displays for certain perspectives — especially of those tied to non-traditional gender or sexual identity themes — receive disproportionate attention compared to more traditional and faith-based viewpoints.”

Jackson County resident Matthew Nations, a youth pastor, decried what he called FRL’s implicit backing of an agenda aimed at the county’s youngest residents.

“By pushing an ideology upon our children through certain materials, they have no place in the library,” he said.

Deborah Stanley, one of only seven speakers to oppose the library, rightly pointed out that Jackson County’s conservative voters had elected the commissioners, and that she expected them to follow their wishes.

“If we voters of Jackson County wanted liberal ideologies, we would have voted for the liberals. We did not vote for the liberals. We voted for you,” Stanley said. “Please don’t vote as RINOs, ‘Republicans In Name Only.’ We do not need people from other counties and states to tell us what to do with our library.”

But that’s exactly what’s been happening.

A 10-year interlocal agreement signed less than a year ago reaffirmed Jackson County’s membership in FRL. In the agreement, two relevant clauses suggest a sharp, sudden change of heart on the part of some Jackson County Commissioners since that time. 

“WHEREAS, the Boards of County Commissioners of Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties recognize that collaboration provides the most effective and efficient means to provide public library service to the residents of said counties … and WHEREAS, this collaboration provides opportunities for service and resource allocations otherwise beyond the financial and service capacities of the individual county governments and libraries …” the agreement reads.

Public records obtained by The Smoky Mountain News shows dozens of emails sent to commissioners urging withdrawal from the FRL system came from just a few residents of Macon County, where the same group of crusaders unsuccessfully tried to spark Macon commissioners to withdraw from the FRL system a more than a year ago. That spark was extinguished by the 2024 interlocal agreement.

Among the most prominent sparklers was Jim Gaston, who also showed up to speak at the June 3 Jackson County meeting. Gaston, not a resident of Jackson County, told Jackson County commissioners exactly what to do with their library, criticizing the use of pronouns by staff, the presence of tampons in men’s restrooms and what he called an “unaccountable” DEI agenda, warning that such inclusivity practices were driving libraries toward partisanship and that his concerns were shared by residents across all three counties.

Conservative Macon County activist Jim Gaston argued for the higher taxes a withdrawal from the Fontana Regional Library system would bring. Cory Vaillancourt photo

According to a leaked email first reported by The Smoky Mountain News in February, Gaston urged the unidentified recipient to keep the FRL withdrawal process covert and to avoid making the issue about ideology.

“Exiting the FRL must be justified as economic reasons. Less blowback and leftist drama,” Gaston wrote. “It’s all about the financials.”

In this instance Gaston may be right, but maybe not in the way he intended.

Documents provided by Jackson County Manager Kevin King show that if Jackson County withdraws from the FRL system, the county would incur substantial, immediate and ongoing costs to recreate essential library infrastructure and services currently provided at regional or state-subsidized rates.

If current levels of service are maintained, the choice to withdraw from the FRL and for the first time in at least 81 years go it alone in the library business would lead to the growth of county bureaucracy and its annual budget.

FRL currently provides all core IT and operational infrastructure for Jackson County’s libraries, including integrated library software, circulation databases, statewide courier services, website hosting, content management, cybersecurity systems, cataloging, processing and acquisition.

To replace all that, Jackson County would need to develop or purchase a full library management system independently. According to the analysis, replicating these services alone would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars upfront, with ongoing costs for maintenance, support, updates and staffing.

Equipment and software provided or maintained by FRL includes computers, printers, copiers, scanners, wi-fi and internet hardware. King estimates $289,000 in initial costs just to replace hardware and network infrastructure if the county severs ties with FRL.

FRL also handles key staffing and training functions, including IT support, cataloging, programming coordination and continuing education. Jackson County would need to hire and train new personnel, or contract services at market rates. That’s estimated to increase annual personnel costs by at least $150,000.

Membership in FRL also enables access to bulk pricing, state or federal grants and statewide interlibrary loan programs, such as NC Cardinal. Leaving the system would eliminate Jackson’s eligibility for these benefits, reducing resource availability and increasing acquisition costs. Shared digital subscriptions alone would cost an additional $30,000–$50,000 annually.

The total projected increase to Jackson County’s yearly library budget if it withdraws from FRL is at least $500,000, not including capital investments or one-time transition costs approaching or exceeding $300,000.

In any given year, it is certainly within the purview of commissioners to determine spending priorities and make annual appropriations in support thereof; this, however, this is not just any given year.

A recent countywide property revaluation has resulted in a substantial increase in the value of taxable property in Jackson County. Tax Collector Tracy Ashe said that value has grown by about 60%. What that means is, at the current property tax rate, the county would generate about 60% more revenue; however, that’s not what local governments usually do with revaluation windfalls, which can be unsustainable for property owners.

Instead, they usually go revenue-neutral, which means lowering the tax rate to compensate for the additional value and ending up with essentially the same amount of revenue as the previous year. Or, they lower the tax rate to not-quite-revenue-neutral, retaining a small revenue increase to pay for the never-ending needs local governments see each year, like pay increases for first responders or new equipment to provide services to residents.

The current property tax rate is 38 cents per $100 in assessed value. The revenue neutral rate is 26.91 cents. The proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year was presented with a rate of 32 cents. If approved, the 32-cent rate would contribute to a $107 million general fund budget, up 14% from the current year’s $93.8 million budget.

The Jackson County Library is one of the most-photographed settings in Western North Carolina. File photo

Withdrawing from the FRL takes an entire year, so the proposed budget doesn’t include the projected increase in library expenses. Commissioners wouldn’t be on the hook for any of the projected costs until the 2026-27 budget is passed sometime next summer — right before commissioners Todd Bryson and John Smith, along with Chairman Mark Letson, face reelection.

By that time, the situation could be much different. After a 2023 Pride display at the Yancey County library angered some, a concerted “Hide the Pride” campaign began, according to reporting in The Assembly by Jessica Wakeman. Visitors to the library hid LGBT books on shelves so they couldn’t be found, or checked out LGBT titles and never returned them, preventing others from accessing them. 

Like in Jackson County, Yancey County has been part of a regional library system with two other counties, called AMY — Avery, Mitchell, Yancey. In the summer of 2024, Yancey commissioners waited until the library director was out of town, called a special meeting and voted unanimously to leave the AMY system without taking any public comment.

Angered by the decision, some Yancey County residents vowed to sue, and may be making good on that promise.

A website, ourlibraryourvoice.com, says “we’re filing a First Amendment lawsuit to try to prevent our county commissioners from wresting control of the library for political purposes. In the process, we hope to set a legal precedent that will protect libraries all across North Carolina.”

Mirroring the financial projections in Jackson County, the website states that the decision to withdraw from AMY will result in reduced services for more money — approximately $100,000.

The website specifically mentions the situation in Jackson County.

“We’re fighting not just for our library but for Fontana, other regional libraries in North Carolina and beyond,” it says.

As of press time on June 10, a GoFundMe for legal fees had raised more than $42,000 toward a $100,000 goal, including some donations topping $2,000. The website says that’s enough to get the process rolling, but two people at the Brooks Pierce law firm told SMN they had no knowledge of any potential suit, and the organizer, Landon Beaver, didn’t return inquiries from SMN about what he’d done with the money.

The Yancey lawsuit, if it’s real, isn’t the only action on this front. Across the United States, a wave of lawsuits is challenging the removal or restriction of books in libraries and schools, many of them targeting LGBTQ content, racial themes or materials deemed “sexually explicit.” 

In Idaho, a coalition of publishers and library advocates is suing the state over House Bill 710, arguing the law is overly vague and violates free speech protections by criminalizing access to certain materials for minors.

In South Carolina, the ACLU is representing patrons of the Greenville County Library System in a federal lawsuit over the removal of dozens of LGBTQ-affirming books, alleging systemic discrimination and censorship.

In Tennessee, PEN America and the ACLU are suing the Rutherford County School Board to reverse the banning of over 145 books, claiming viewpoint discrimination.

In Minnesota, educators and students have sued the St. Francis school district over similar bans.

In Iowa, a federal judge temporarily blocked a new law banning any depictions of sex acts in school books, pending further constitutional review.

Even military-connected schools haven’t escaped scrutiny. Families have filed suit against the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) over the removal of hundreds of titles touching on race, gender and sexuality.

House Bill 636, currently making its way through the North Carolina General Assembly, is titled “Promoting wholesome content for students” and passed its first reading in the Senate on April 16. The bill states that “Library media is not appropriate for the age, grade level, intellectual development and ability level for any age or age group of children if it includes descriptions or visual depictions of sexual activity or is pervasively vulgar.” 

Arguably, the passages read by Bigelow could qualify the book he found them in to be removed from public libraries across the state.

Of all the speakers during the 130-minute public comment session, only one — Ron Robinson — called for compromise. 

“One of the things that I would like to do is think about bringing both groups together, representatives from both groups, to talk about this and come to some kind of an agreement that meets the needs of both” Robinson said. “Some people think that compromise is losing things. There are also ways in my work where you can bring things together and meet the needs of both. And that would be nice if we could do that here.”

After the public comments concluded, commissioners engaged in a brief work session where King presented the financial implications of a withdrawal.

Letson then proposed setting up a joint meeting between commissioners and the FRL board, which was received with a smattering of applause from those who had remained in the audience.

“I think that’s what negotiation looks like,” said Commissioner Todd Bryson. “But, they’ve got to be willing to negotiate, willing to compromise.”

“So far they haven’t been,” Commissioner John Smith said.

“I do think we have to be willing to compromise and negotiate as well,” Letson said, again earning polite applause. “I mean, that’s kind of the whole point. If we can find that compromise, I think we’ll be in better shape as a county.”

The last regular meeting of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners before the June 30 withdrawal deadline is scheduled for June 17, but commissioners set the joint meeting with the FRL board for 5:30 p.m. on June 19 at the Justice and Administration building, located at 401 Grindstaff Cove Road in Sylva.

That means it’s unlikely that commissioners will take action on June 17, and that if after meeting with FRL commissioners still want to withdraw from FRL, they’d have to call a special meeting with 48 hours advance notice.

If after meeting with FRL Jackson County commissioners decide not to diminish library services and raise property taxes by withdrawing, they need do nothing at all — except honor the agreement they signed last year.

Update: An attorney from the Brooks Pierce law firm confirmed on the afternoon of June 11 that it represents Landon Beaver.