Jackson County, North Carolina, voted to leave the Fontana Regional Library system, citing controversy over LGBTQ+ content in children’s books. The decision, supported by four of five commissioners, followed months of public debate. Critics warn the departure will raise operational costs and reduce services. Several municipalities, including Sylva and Webster, have expressed support for staying in the system. The county has until July 2026 to reverse its decision. Only one book was challenged in five years. Library officials and local leaders hope to negotiate a compromise to avoid increased taxpayer burdens and diminished educational and cultural resources.
by Lucas Thomae, Carolina Public Press July 21, 2025
Last month, Jackson became the second county in Western North Carolina to vote to exit its library system following local controversy over books with LGBTQ+ content. The move is the latest example of public libraries in the region being turned into political battlegrounds over such issues.
On June 24, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners voted to exit the Fontana Regional Library it shares with Macon and Swain counties. Four members of the five-person commission voted in favor of the exit. The lone “no” vote was Board Chairman Mark Letson, who cited increased financial burden on the county as the reason for his opposition.
Months of impassioned public comments at meetings of the county commissioners and public library board preceded the deciding vote. As in Yancey County, which on July 1 officially exited its former library system, a group of conservative residents ignited the movement to leave the system with complaints over materials in the library that they deemed inappropriate for children.
Yancey locals who supported remaining in the library system spent months trying to convince county commissioners to reverse course through protest and threat of legal action, but their efforts fell short.
Now, a strikingly similar situation is playing out in Jackson, and supporters of the library system there are aiming for a different outcome. They are joined by the several municipalities within Jackson County who have signaled that they also want Jackson to remain a part of Fontana Regional.
Jackson County has until July 2026 to reverse its decision. At that time, the control of two system libraries within Jackson County — one in the community of Cashiers and the other in the county seat of Sylva — will be turned over to the county commissioners.
Lead-up to the Jackson County vote
Although rumors of a potential exit from Fontana Regional have circulated ever since Yancey County’s consequential vote to leave its library system, Jackson County commissioners began serious talks earlier this year.
County Manager Kevin King told commissioners in previous public meetings that the transition would require hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional county spending to maintain the same level of services offered by the regional system.
All the while, a contingent of conservative commissioners sympathetic to the idea of leaving the system accused the libraries of espousing liberal ideologies and questioned whether safety measures at the library branch in Sylva were up to par.
Commissioners called upon Tracy Fitzmaurice, who serves both as the librarian of the Sylva branch and the director of Fontana Regional, to respond to their concerns at several public meetings.
On June 19, the Jackson commissioners conducted a joint meeting with the Fontana Regional board of trustees during which they peppered library officials with questions about library administration, funding, safety measures and the book challenging process.
Despite claims of inappropriate materials in the children’s section of the library, only one book has been challenged in the last five years in Jackson County, and none have been removed from the collection. One book over that span, a sex education graphic novel, was reclassified from the youth to the young adult section.
Library officials hoped that the joint meeting would allow Fontana Regional and Jackson County to come to an understanding and avoid the county’s exit. But five days later, commissioners voted to break away from the system.
Fitzmaurice told CPP in an email that she was “saddened and disappointed” by the vote.
“I thought that the joint meeting between the (Fontana Regional) Board of Trustees and the Jackson County Commissioners on June 19th would have cleared up some of the legal aspects of how the libraries in Jackson County are managed,” she said.
“I also hoped the commissioners would give the (Fontana Regional) Board members time to review the commissioners’ concerns. Everyone is aware that by leaving (Fontana Regional) the Jackson County libraries will cost more to operate and the taxpayers will carry this cost.”
Neither King nor Letson responded to a request for an interview prior to the publication of this article.
Municipal governments push back
Several weeks before the commissioners’ decision, the Village of Forest Hills and Town of Webster passed resolutions in support of Jackson County remaining in the regional library.
“Withdrawal from the Fontana Regional Library System would result in increased operational costs for a standalone system, diminished resources, reduced programming, and potentially limit the scope and quality of library resources available to Jackson County residents, thereby negatively impacting the educational opportunities and quality of life for its citizens,” the Town of Webster’s resolution read.
That resolution and a similar one passed by the Forest Hills council were sent to Jackson County officials.
Webster and Forest Hills, each of which comprise fewer than 400 residents, are only tiny enclaves in the 44,000-person county. Much of Jackson’s population lives in unincorporated areas, giving county officials an outsized amount of governing power.
The largest community, Cullowhee, is the site of Western Carolina University, which boasts 11,000 students. It is located just south of Sylva and, being a large public university, is home to a sizable LGBTQ+ population.
However, there exists no municipal government in Cullowhee that could weigh in on the Jackson County library situation.
The one municipal government that could wield significant influence is Sylva, the county seat and largest incorporated community with more than 2,000 residents.
Town commissioners were set to vote on a similar resolution in support of Fontana Regional during their regular meeting on June 12, but it was scratched from the agenda following a motion from commissioner Jon Brown.
Brown told CPP that although he supported Jackson remaining in the regional library, he didn’t think it was appropriate for Sylva to pass a resolution on a divisive issue that the town ultimately didn’t have control over.
“It’s been a real hot topic in our community,” Brown said.
“There’s been a lot of conversation. A lot of folks feel passionately about the library. We have one of the best libraries I’ve ever seen — it’s a real treasure for Jackson County and Sylva, and I hope that we can keep the doors open, keep the funding it needs and keep all the great services.”
Brown said commissioners will likely vote this week on a revised resolution in support of a compromise between Fontana Regional and Jackson County.
Sylva Commissioner Brad Waldrop, who also supports Jackson remaining with Fontana Regional, confirmed in an email that town commissioners are working on a new resolution.
“I am still in favor of a resolution from the Town of Sylva in support of remaining in the FRL and am working to make that happen,” Waldrop said.
“Although Jackson County commissioners already voted to leave the FRL, that doesn’t actually occur until July 2026 so there’s still time to reverse course from this bad decision that looks certain to significantly increase costs, decrease library services, or both.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article from Carolina Public Press presents a largely factual account of Jackson County’s decision to exit the Fontana Regional Library system, but its framing subtly favors those opposing the exit. Language choices such as describing residents supporting LGBTQ+ content as seeking “compromise” and opponents as part of a “conservative movement” suggest a slight ideological slant. Emphasis on cost increases, community opposition, and emotional reactions from library officials also leans toward supporting the library system’s continuation. However, the piece includes multiple perspectives and quotes from both sides, maintaining a mostly balanced tone with a modest left-leaning tilt.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-09-11 08:05:00
Decarlos Brown Jr. faces federal and state charges for the August 22 killing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail. The North Carolina chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has urged federal prosecutors to classify the murder as a hate crime, citing video footage allegedly showing Brown making racist remarks. Brown, arrested 15 times previously, is charged with first-degree murder and a federal charge related to mass transportation. The case has sparked viral attention, legislative proposals, and a state audit of transit safety. CAIR condemns the murder and warns against using the crime to promote racial bias.
(The Center Square) – When a federal charge was levied this week against Decarlos Brown Jr. in the killing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail, authorities said more charges were possible.
North Carolina’s chapter of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the nation has formally requested federal prosecutors charge Brown with a hate crime.
“We join calls for the U.S. attorney to investigate the murder of Iryna Zarutska as a possible hate crime given video footage that appears to show the perpetrator commenting on her race and gender after brutally attacking her,” the North Carolina chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement. “Whenever someone commits similar acts of violence while engaging in racist or bigoted rhetoric, law enforcement should automatically investigate a bias motive.”
Zarutska, 23, was killed while aboard the Lynx Blue Line light rail train about 10 p.m. Aug. 22 alongside Camden Road near the East/West station, according to the Charlotte Area Transit System video. Brown, arrested a 15th time in as many years, is charged with first-degree murder on the state level and charged on the federal level with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
While in the local news immediately, the story went viral over the weekend and into this week when Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police released video from the transit system. Congressional proposals are in the works; state Republicans in the U.S. House have requested the chief judge in the district remove the magistrate signing off on cashless bail for Brown in January; and a probe of safety and budget for the transit system is underway by the state auditor.
CAIR-North Carolina said, “Video footage from the incident reportedly shows the alleged attacker, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., pacing through the train and twice saying, ‘I got that white girl.’”
The Center Square has not confirmed the comments. Video released by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police is from cameras aboard the Charlotte Area Transit System light rail train.
General Assembly leaders planned a noon press conference connected to the stabbing.
CAIR-North Carolina said, “As we condemn Ms. Zarutska’s horrific murder and call for a hate crime probe, we also condemn those using this crime to resurrect racist talking points about the Black community. This selective outrage is dangerous, hypocritical, and racially motivated, especially given that white supremacists fall silent about other stabbings, mass shootings, hate crimes, financial crimes, rapes, and various other misconduct committed by people of all races and backgrounds. Our society must secure justice for victims of crimes, not turn them into pawns for extremists.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a factual overview of the incident and related responses without adopting or promoting a distinct ideological stance. It reports on the victim’s killing, the ongoing legal actions, and the call from the North Carolina chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for hate crime charges. The article quotes CAIR’s statements, which include both a call for investigation and a critique of racial double standards, but it does so without endorsing or challenging these views. It also mentions political actions from state Republicans and other official responses, maintaining a neutral tone throughout. The language is primarily descriptive, focusing on reporting events and stated positions rather than framing them in a way that suggests bias. Thus, the content adheres to neutral, factual reporting rather than expressing an ideological perspective.
SUMMARY: Increasingly, undocumented immigrants, even those living in the U.S. for decades, are choosing to leave due to the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement, including threats of arrest and deportation. This strategy, termed “self-deportation,” combines enforcement with incentives like plane tickets and cash via a government app to encourage voluntary departure. Many face discrimination, fear, and limited legal options, prompting some to return to countries of origin despite hardships. Social media and support groups like Onward have seen rising membership as immigrants seek advice on leaving. Experts note this large-scale pressured departure is unprecedented in U.S. history.
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Patients are getting hit with fees for paperwork, getting a copy of a prescription, even fees for asking a question. WRAL News shares some things you can do to avoid the extra costs.
