BY MILES LAYTON
EDENTON — A Chowan County Commission decision not to reappoint Sherronne Battle to the Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library Board drew sharp criticism during Monday night’s meeting, with a local resident accusing the board of a lack of transparency in how the matter was handled.
Commissioner Chris Evans defended the decision not to reappoint Battle, saying it’s the Commission’s “perogative to vote in someone new when a term ends.”
The debate surfaced as commissioners simultaneously approved amendments to the Library Board’s bylaws — changes partly prompted by the fallout of Battle’s removal.
At the heart of the controversy was the Commission’s vote in June to appoint a new representative to the library board instead of reappoint Battle, who had completed her second term. While commissioners insisted no one was removed from the board to clarify some misconceptions, some folks have suggested the decision came without adequate notice or opportunity for community input.
Trigger warning: we’re about to spill more ink – more ink – to write another story about an issue that’s already been decided – unanimously decided – by the Commission in June not to reappoint Battle to the Library Board. That said, if our readers want to skip to the end about the other items on the agenda, they would be well served.
Photo that accompanies this story comes from the Commission being introduced Mason Conner, Chowan County’s delegate to the 2025 NC Association of County Commissioners. Congrats!
Public Comments Challenge Process
During the public comment period, Vicki Sherbs directly addressed the commission, expressing her frustration over how Battle’s departure was handled.
“When I spoke before, it was to encourage you to rethink your decision on removing Ms. Battle from the Library Board,” Sherbs said. “I stated that there was a lack of transparency in making that decision.”
Sherbs questioned how the public could have voiced support for Battle if they didn’t know her reappointment was in question until after the vote had already taken place.
“There was no public indication that the commission was going to remove her,” she continued. “Had we known, I promise you, I would have been here to speak — as would others.”
According to Sherbs, even Battle herself was caught off guard by the decision. She added that while the commission had defended its actions by pointing to public notice requirements and meeting procedures, the reality of the situation suggested a disconnect between process and transparency.
“I believe it to be disingenuous to state otherwise,” Sherbs said. “It is when agendas are hidden from the public that problems of trust arise. If you are proud of your agendas, state them clearly and publicly. We are listening.”
This is not the first time Sherbs has spoken during the public comment portion of a Commission meeting about this matter.
“This group of men (Commission) was elected to protect and lead the citizens of our county,” she said in June. “Sherronne Battle has been put into a position, by this group of men, to defend her honor and integrity in our community. I am here to stand up and be counted as a member of the community who knows Ms. Battle to be steadfast in her devotion to the truth, resolute in her service to our community – especially young people, and honest and honorable in her dealings. The Commissioners treatment of Ms. Battle was nothing less than punitive and underhanded, as well as shameful and shoddy.”
Sherbs continued, “Removing her from the Library Board without notice nor public input and against the recommendation of the Library Board lays waste to any claim this Board of County Commissioners might try to make regarding transparency or fairness.”
Commission Defends Decision
Commissioner Chris Evans responded during the meeting, seeking to clarify what he called “a matter of terminology.”
“We did not remove her from the board,” Evans said. “She finished her term, and then we voted on another person to take that position. She wasn’t in the middle of her term when we did this — her time had finished.”
Evans emphasized that library board terms are finite, typically lasting two to four years, and appointments are made at the discretion of the commission based on the direction they believe is best for the board and the county.
“That’s why there are term limits,” he said. “It’s our prerogative as a board to vote in someone new when a term ends.”
Worth noting – again – for the record – June 2’s meeting agenda – included an item about appointments to the Library Board:
Shepard Pruden Memorial Library Board of Trustees Three appointees to the Library Board of Trustees are eligible for reappointment and recommended for reappointment by the Board of Trustees.
The members are: – Faison Winborne – Sherrone Battle – Jenny Wells
Commission agendas are usually emailed to commissioners and the public on the Thursday before Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting – so if anyone was out there wanting to say something, they could’ve attended the meeting, maybe to say something during the public comment portion.
Battle did not attend the June meeting when her reappointment was on the agenda for discussion – a point that Commissioner Ellis Lawrence brought up – comments echoing what he’s said at prior meetings when this issue has been discussed.
Bylaw Amendments Approved
In a related move during the same meeting, the Commission unanimously approved a set of amendments to the Shepard-Pruden Library Board’s bylaws, a decision that stemmed directly from the confusion over Battle’s status.
The bylaw changes include the addition of a formal “Order of Business” for trustee meetings and — more significantly — a clarified process for appointing representatives to the Albemarle Regional Library Board. According to county staff, the revisions aim to make the selection process more transparent and better aligned with existing county practices.
“We were discussing this and agreed that there was a need to explain how the trustees are appointed to the regional board,” said Susanne Stallings, Clerk to the Board. “This is standard operating procedure that is used for a lot of state boards and committees.”
Under the updated bylaws, the Library Board of Trustees will continue to make recommendations for regional board appointments, but the County Commission will have the authority to approve, modify, or reject those recommendations — a process that had been followed informally but was not previously written into the bylaws.
“This is something we were already doing,” Stallings explained. “But it was not in writing. Now it is.”
Stallings noted that the need for bylaw clarification became evident after Battle’s term ended. Because she was also serving on the Albemarle Regional Library Board at the time, the regional director reached out to the county asking for clarity on how appointments and reappointments should be handled.
On that note, alongside the bylaw changes, the commission also approved the appointments of Betty Tynch to the Albemarle Regional Library Board, joining existing representatives Marie Perry and Jenny Wells. These volunteers are responsible for helping guide library policy and services across multiple counties.
Looking Ahead
While commissioners maintained that the decision not to reappoint Battle was routine and within their rights, the debate over process and perception is unlikely to fade quickly, at least in some folks’ minds. Sherbs’ comments reflected a broader call for increased public engagement and more transparent decision-making.
“In an age where trust in government is at an all-time low,” Sherbs warned, “it behooves us at the local level to be as trustworthy as possible.”
The commission took no action to revisit the appointment, and no further comments were made on the matter by other board members. With the bylaw changes now approved, future trustee and regional board appointments are expected to proceed under the clarified procedures.
Other Business
Moving the record player’s needle to the next groove because this song about the library has grown stale, being used primarily as an issue to grandstand but not move the needle forward toward progress of any kind, here’s what also happened at the meeting.
An active Aces’ student-athlete, Mason Conner was selected as Chowan County’s delegate to the 2025 NC Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) annual Conference as part of the YouthVoice program. Conner will represent Chowan County in discussions with other young leaders across North Carolina, gaining insights into government operations and community service. Congratulations Mason.
Commissioners approved a $21,560 change order to modify the generator connection at the new John A. Holmes High School gym and cafeteria. These facilities are slated to double as community storm shelters during emergencies, making reliable backup power a critical feature.
The change order addresses a redesign of the generator’s connection system—an engineering adjustment likely deemed necessary during the ongoing construction phase. Though there is already a generator to serve the school building in the event of a power outage, this connection–generator will serve to supply juice to appliances in the kitchen area – got to eat during a major weather event.
A question needs to be asked – why wasn’t this included in the new high school’s building specs? After all, JAHHS has served as an emergency shelter for decades, used during noteworthy hurricanes such as Isabel in 2003 and Dorian in 2019.
Answer, because a prominent administrator involved in the design phase for the new school, but who has since moved on to lead another school district, did not include the necessary infrastructure in the planning process – though he was advised to do that – so that needed to addressed before construction is completed.
Rather than looking back, Commissioners moved forward with full support of this change order, adding this to the planning process while the school is under construction.
Fireworks — Commission granted fireworks permit approval authority to the county Fire Inspector for the coming year. Under a policy originally adopted in 2019, the inspector is allowed to approve applications from pyrotechnic companies with a history of safe operations in the county. This will allow for a more streamlined review process during the busy summer and holiday seasons.
This year, only one company—Shot in the Dark Pyrotechnics—has requested frequent permit consideration. Other vendors will continue to require case-by-case approval by the Board of Commissioners before their events.
Commission approved Sheriff Edward “Scooter” Basnight’s request for a temporary reallocation of a staff position from the Sheriff’s Office to the Detention Center for a six-month period. The shift, according to Basnight, will help address an immediate staffing need at the county’s jail facility. Remains to be determined whether this will be a permanent change.
Tax Administrator Chris Hill presented several tax-related items that included the acceptance of settlement for the current fiscal year, as well as the official orders to collect 2025 taxes and unpaid taxes from prior years. These are standard annual procedures ensuring the county remains on track with revenue collection. On that note, Commission Chairman Kirby asked Hill to create a system with names for publication so that people could look up to see if they are current with their tax bills. When the Albemarle Observer receives that list, we will publish it.
Lastly, the Commission transferred fire trucks’ titles to the Center Hill-Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department. Long-story-short – it’s a “paper” thing. Center Hill is now paying the insurance for the trucks, however, the vehicles’ titles had been under the county’s banner, so the Commission transferred the titles to the fire department, a move that will please some pencil-pusher in the deep state that’s never content to leave things alone.
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