Library board member ousted?
An alarming set of events is happening within our city government and Library that the citizens should be aware of. The mayor is pushing through an ordinance that would effectively oust a member of the Library Board.

Our city charter was written with guidelines for the Library and it clearly shows that the Library serves both residents of the city and the surrounding area. It states that the board should be compromised of 7 people. Those would include the mayor or his designee, four residents of the city, one Sumner County resident and one Robertson County resident. The only stipulation is that county members live within five miles of the city.

The mayor has now proposed a measure that would require all board members to be city residents with the exception of the Planning Commission. I ask why the ordinance shouldn’t’ apply to the Planning Commission? Maybe it is because there are a couple of people the mayor wants on that commission that live outside the city limits.

Right now, there is only one member of any affected board that lives outside the city (by a few feet), Sherry Eden from the Library Board. It is my opinion and many others in the city that the only reason that the mayor is trying to enact this ordinance is to oust one of the biggest proponents the library has ever had in Mrs. Eden. This is an effort by the mayor to have total control of the Library Board without any voice of differing opinion or idea.

I have known Sherry for a long time and I think the mayor has forgotten that she has consistently played a pivotal role in bringing the Library into existence and making it a success with the people. She, along with several others, have been there since the beginning and have held a guiding light in making the Library what it is today. They have all worked extremely hard for no money or recognition and it is a shame that an effort like that is going to be thrown out by getting rid of one of the original pioneers.

The Library serves the citizens of White House along with the surrounding area (just as the Planning Commission does). All you have to do is visit it during most any day or any event and you will see that it is not just those living within the city limits that enjoy the library. There is no justification for the ordinance except to kick Mrs. Eden off the board without it looking too obvious.

The ordinance has already passed the first reading without any objection or question from any of the alderman and will go through the second and final reading during the Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting on the 19th of the this month.

I ask that the citizens of White House who care about the direction of the Library and our government make their voices heard by those who represent you- the aldermen and mayor. Call your alderman and the mayor and ask them to please not enact this useless ordinance. I have listed the contacts in this letter.

Mayor John Decker 672-3152; Farris Bibb 672-3225; Jim Bracey 672-8618; Mike Arnold 672-7028; Darrell Leftwich 672-5007