So, Macon County Is Pulling The Strings?

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/8e1ce2_15ccc70bf4594dea977daa74169e6580/480p/mp4/file.mp4

You may have seen this clip from the Jackson County Commissioners' meeting on Aug. 5, 2025. A little background, Keith Blaine is former head of the Jackson County GOP and currently the secretary. Over the last year or so, he has accompanied candidates for library board appointments to Jackson County Commissioners' meetings and, in turn, the commissioners appointed his recommendations to the library boards (Fontana Regional and Jackson County boards).

The reason the audience applauded and laughed when he said the Jackson County commissioners were elected by Macon County voters is because back in 2021, the effort to change the Inter-Local Library Agreement which governs the FRL was instigated by Macon County residents. Over the last several years, Jackson County commissioners have listened to Macon County residents criticize the FRL. A new agreement was finalized and the push began to replace existing library board members with "conservative Christians with mountain values" (Commissioner John Smith’s words, not ours).

Meanwhile, Macon County has NOT voted to pull out of the FRL. No one from Macon County attends our commissioner meetings anymore. Wonder why?  Many thanks to Keith Blaine for reminding us that Macon County has been pulling the strings since 2021.