SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — After a rowdy, more than two-hour public hearing Tuesday night, Effingham County commissioners voted unanimously to end the county’s more than 80-year partnership with the Live Oak Public Libraries system and to remove Library Board Chair Erica Biezenbos.
Commissioners plan to establish a new, county library system.
The audience — made up almost entirely of Live Oak supporters — erupted in boos as commissioners cast their votes, finalizing a decision that will fundamentally reshape the future of local library services. No member of the public spoke in favor of ending the partnership.
The vote ends Effingham’s decades-long affiliation with the Savannah-based regional library system, which oversees branches in Rincon and Springfield. The split will not take effect until June 30, 2026.
“It’s a nine-month process,” County Manager Tim Callanan said after the meeting.
The decision followed months of review into the county’s financial and administrative relationship with Live Oak. The county recently completed a detailed review, led by retired school librarian and media specialist Nate Ball and retired CPA Wesley Corbitt. Their analysis found that Effingham’s library funding is significantly higher than comparable counties, largely because of administrative overhead. County officials said the change will allow Effingham to reduce administrative costs, gain greater local control, and reinvest savings into staff, programs, and facilities.
“This is about finances,” commission chairman Damon Rahn said.
Critics warned that leaving Live Oak could cost the county access to a large portion of its physical collection and specialized programs, including literacy resources, early childhood initiatives, and partnerships with Savannah-area museums.
More than a dozen Live Oak supporters challenged the accuracy of Ball’s and Corbitt’s audit and expressed concern about potential censorship. They urged commissioners to postpone the vote until a full financial and transition plan could be presented to the public.
“You need to take a minute and give the community time to process,” one supporter said. Commenters also expressed concern about the impact on low-income residents, seniors, and other members of the community who regularly rely on the library.
Live Oak supporters also accused commissioners of back-room dealing, claiming that Ball — a former grade school media specialist hired under a consulting contract approved in December 2024 — was promised the library director position with a proposed salary of $120,000.
The public hearing grew heated at times, with residents frustrated over both the process and the potential impact on the county’s two library branches. At one point, Rahn had to warn audience member Ivy Gibbins to stop interrupting or she would be removed.
Ball’s and Corbitt’s audit indicated the county could save up to $373,000 annually by operating its own system. Consultants assured commissioners that core statewide resources — including PINES (the statewide library lending network) and GALILEO (Georgia’s virtual library system) — would remain available under any new arrangement.
County commissioners promised that the libraries would not close and that, according to the agreement with Live Oak, resources and staff would remain available in each branch. They emphasized that the $373,000 in projected savings would be reinvested into library operations.
“We want to reinvest in our board and libraries,” Commissioner Roger Burdette said. Burdette, who in 2023 expressed concerns about LGBTQ-themed materials in Effingham libraries, sought to address fears that he intended to censor library content.
“Why would I wait more than a year,” he said, “if that was my plan?”
He added: “No one wants to get rid of library services.”
Commissioner Jamie DeLoach said, “I want to keep Effingham dollars in Effingham County. Reinvest the money in our services and people.”
Commissioner Beth Helmly praised the passion of Live Oak supporters. “We can make a good library system ourselves. Many of you say we can’t do it without Live Oak. I say we can,” she said.
The commission also voted unanimously to remove Biezenbos as library board chair and replace her with Sherry Duff, citing repeated procedural and oversight failures.
Attorney Wade Herring, who represented Biezenbos and Live Oak during the hearing, argued that commissioners could not remove Biezenbos without due process. The county’s lawyer, Edward Newberry, said the county’s bylaws give commissioners the legal authority to remove her.
On Monday, the day before the public hearing, a new letter alleged that top county officials orchestrated a plan to separate the libraries without proper legal authority or public transparency. The claims added to the debate surrounding the county’s long-standing partnership with Live Oak and fueled criticism from supporters of the regional system.
If you missed Tuesday’s meeting, you can watch the full proceedings on the county’s YouTube channel.
