A growing public standoff between the Josephine County Board of Commissioners and the Josephine Community Library District took a new turn this week when a local library volunteer formally filed a petition for redress of grievances, citing the county’s ongoing refusal to negotiate a lease renewal for the Grants Pass Library. The petition invokes a rarely used provision of the Josephine County Charter and legally mandates a response from county officials within five days.
Matthew Hoff, a member of the Friends of the Library and longtime volunteer at the Grants Pass branch, submitted the paperwork on April 22, 2025. In the petition, Hoff accuses the Board of Commissioners of breaching their duties under the county charter, undermining both public trust and the foundational services libraries are meant to provide.
“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,” Hoff wrote in the formal filing.
The petition relies on Section 29.8 of the Josephine County Charter, which states that any county resident may file a petition for redress of grievances and that the county is required to respond within five days, with a final resolution required within 60 days.
Hoff says the idea to file the petition came after a local screening of the Southern Oregon PBS documentary Us As We Are: Regional Libraries, which chronicled the library district’s challenges in securing a long-term lease after county officials abruptly terminated the agreement earlier this year. The documentary struck a chord with many in attendance, highlighting not only the practical consequences of the lease impasse but also the deeper emotional and civic wounds the situation has inflicted on the community.
“Libraries are more than buildings full of books,” Hoff said following the screening. “They’re people—volunteers, staff, and patrons who carried knowledge long before the walls of the library existed and sustained it even when the doors were closed. They are engines of opportunity—where every child, job seeker, and lifelong learner finds what they need to thrive.”
The petition effort has galvanized local library supporters, many of whom have grown increasingly frustrated with the County’s silence. Jennifer Roberts, co-chair of the Grants Pass Friends of the Library, said Hoff’s petition offered a welcome jolt of initiative after months of stonewalling from elected officials.
“Matthew’s idea to petition the commissioners seemed like a great way to force the issue so that our library can once again have certainty and stability,” Roberts said. “It’s so frustrating watching the commissioners ignore the library’s attempts to engage in good-faith negotiations.”
The lease crisis began on January 6, 2025, when the Board of Commissioners voted to terminate the Grants Pass Library’s lease with only 30 days’ notice and no prior warning. Despite the abrupt decision, the county failed to provide any rationale or proposed alternative. No termination letter was issued, and the commissioners did not indicate any intention to remove the library, revise terms, or relocate county departments into the space.
The library district, in contrast, responded with transparency and repeated outreach efforts. Over the past several months, district officials have offered multiple meeting dates, proposed compromise lease terms, and submitted a formal lease renewal proposal on March 25. The county has yet to engage in meaningful dialogue. According to records, commissioners acknowledged receipt of the March 25 proposal but have neither responded with counterterms nor scheduled a discussion.
In an April 4 memo, Josephine County Legal Counsel cited “internal uncertainties,” including the future sale of the Dimmick campus and possible departmental relocations, as contributing factors to the stalemate. However, those justifications have done little to calm community concern. The memo also noted that no decision on the lease is expected until after the county’s budget hearings, effectively prolonging the state of limbo for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, the Grants Pass Library remains operational, but its long-term viability is clouded by uncertainty. Volunteers, staff, and patrons alike have expressed concern that the county’s delay is not merely bureaucratic, but an intentional effort to undermine the library district’s autonomy. Many see the refusal to negotiate as part of a larger pattern of dysfunction within the current county administration.
With the charter-based petition now officially filed, the clock is ticking. County officials must respond within five business days and will be required to produce a resolution—one way or another—within 60 days.
For residents who see the library as a cornerstone of their community, the petition represents more than a procedural challenge. It is a demand for accountability and a test of whether elected officials are willing to honor the very charter that gives them their authority.
As the standoff continues, one thing is clear: The public will not be silent. And now, under the binding terms of the charter, the commissioners can no longer afford to be either.