Despite repeated public claims of “transparency” and “community unity,” Josephine County commissioners are once again facing serious accusations of disregarding the will of their constituents — this time over the future of the Grants Pass Library.
On April 28, library volunteer and Grants Pass Friends of the Library member Matthew Hoff formally requested that the Josephine County District Attorney file misdemeanor charges against Commissioners Chris Barnett, Andreas Blech, and Ron Smith for alleged violations of the Josephine County Charter.
Hoff’s action follows months of mounting frustration within the community over the Board of Commissioners’ handling of the Grants Pass Library lease — a dispute that, to many residents, has revealed a widening gap between the promises of elected officials and the reality of their governance.
In his April 22 petition to the Board, Hoff outlined his concerns, stating that the “actions and inactions of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners regarding the lease of the Grants Pass Library facility constitute a significant breach of public trust and governance obligations, and violate the Charter’s mandate for library support and public accountability.”
Under the Josephine County Charter, officials who receive a petition for redress of grievances are required to respond within five days and resolve the issue within sixty days. To date, no formal response has been provided by Barnett, Blech, or Smith — a silence that Hoff argues constitutes a clear violation of the Charter.
More importantly, the Charter provides explicit enforcement mechanisms: it mandates that officials who violate its provisions be issued a Class B Misdemeanor citation, and it makes clear that no person, regardless of office or title, is immune from citation.
Following the Board’s failure to respond, Hoff submitted a second petition to the commissioners, this time outlining specific means of resolving the conflict. That second petition is available for public review at https://2ndpetitionmatthewhoff.tiiny.site.
The origins of this controversy date back to January 6, when the Board of Commissioners abruptly voted to terminate the library’s lease with just 30 days’ notice — without prior consultation or public input. Over the following months, the county offered no explanations, no proposed lease terms, no rental rates, and no formal notice of termination, leaving the future of the Grants Pass Library shrouded in uncertainty.
Despite the county’s refusal to engage, the library district continued acting in good faith. It offered multiple meeting dates, expressed a willingness to compromise, and submitted a formal lease renewal proposal on March 25. Commissioners acknowledged receipt of the proposal, yet nearly five weeks later, no terms have been offered, no talks scheduled, and no substantive replies provided.
Meanwhile, a memo from County Legal Counsel dated April 4 blamed the delay on a series of internal issues, including possible department relocations, the pending sale of the Dimmick campus, and scheduling conflicts. The memo concluded by warning that no decision would likely be made until after upcoming budget hearings — further delaying any potential resolution.
For many residents, this lack of urgency and transparency stands in stark contrast to the values the commissioners campaigned on. Barnett, Blech, and Smith repeatedly promised open government, responsiveness to constituents, and a commitment to serving the public interest. Yet in the case of the library — a core institution valued by thousands across the county — those promises appear hollow.
Community members and library supporters have voiced growing outrage, accusing county leadership of acting unilaterally, ignoring legally mandated public processes, and treating citizen grievances with indifference. Hoff’s filing now brings a new level of accountability into the spotlight, as citizens demand that the law be enforced equally — even against those in positions of power.
The Grants Pass Friends of the Library, a nonprofit organization advocating for libraries in the community, underscored the critical importance of the issue. In a statement, they reaffirmed their mission to promote library services as essential to thriving communities and called on residents to remain engaged and vocal in defense of their public institutions.
As the Grants Pass Library remains trapped in bureaucratic limbo four months after the commissioners’ lease termination vote, many residents are left asking whether their elected leaders are truly serving the public — or merely paying lip service to transparency while pursuing political agendas behind closed doors.
In a county that prides itself on grassroots democracy and citizen participation, the actions of Barnett, Blech, and Smith serve as a stark reminder: transparency is not a slogan; it is an obligation. And when that obligation is ignored, the community is prepared to fight back — not with rhetoric, but with the rule of law.
For more information or to get involved, Grants Pass Friends of the Library can be reached at grantspassfol@gmail.com.