A disagreement over who holds final authority in selecting the next director of the West Florida Public Library system is unfolding just days before a scheduled vote by the Escambia County Commission.
In late February, the West Florida Public Library Board of Governance voted unanimously to recommend Bradley Vinson as its top choice for library director, with Chris Hare listed as an alternate. The recommendation followed a months-long search process that included public meetings, structured interviews, and collaboration with county human resources staff.
But on February 27, Board Chair Dr. Blaine Wall said he was notified that County Administrator Wes Moreno intended to recommend Interim Library Director Christal Bell-Rivera instead.
That decision has raised questions about the role of the five-member Board of Governance and whether its recommendation is binding or advisory.
What the governing documents say
The Board of Governance was created in 2013 through Resolution R2013 17 of the Escambia County Commission. The board’s bylaws state that it shall recommend a Library Director to the County Administrator or designee.
The bylaws also state that the Library Director is an employee of Escambia County and reports directly or indirectly to the County Administrator.
The documents outline the Board’s authority to recommend a director and adopt the position description. They do not explicitly state whether the County Administrator must forward the board’s recommendation to the commission or whether the administrator may select a different candidate.
In a statement provided to WUWF, the County Administrator’s office said that, as with all department directors, the administrator selects a candidate and presents that candidate to the Board of County Commissioners for approval.
The statement said the decision to recommend Bell Rivera was based on her qualifications and interview performance, along with her leadership experience while serving as deputy library services director and interim director. The statement also noted that Bell-Rivera is the only candidate who has managed an entire library system.
The office declined additional comment before the March 5 vote.
The Board’s position
Wall said the Board understood its role to be substantive, not merely symbolic.
“Our reaction was not personal. It was institutional,” Wall said. “Our concern was about transparency, consistency with the adopted process, and maintaining confidence in a merit-based selection system.”
He said the board expected its unanimous recommendation would at least be forwarded to the commission, even if the administrator disagreed.
“When a unanimous board recommendation is set aside, it can create confusion about the role and value of that oversight,” Wall said. “Clear communication about decision-making criteria is important to maintain public confidence.”
Wall noted that during the previous director search in 2015, the board recommended a candidate who was then appointed by the county administrator and approved by the commission.
A board member removed during the search
The dispute over authority has been accompanied by questions about the removal of one board member during the search process.
Lori NeSmith, a former Board chair appointed by Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves, said her term was set to expire at the end of February 2026.
On November 13, Reeves sent NeSmith a letter informing her that she was being removed from her position as the Mayor’s appointee, effective immediately. The letter thanked her for her service but did not state a reason for the removal.
NeSmith said she believes her removal was connected to her criticism of the hiring process.
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“In October, I was the most vocal about following board precedence,” she said. “I believe the county is ignoring past precedent to advance their own candidate.”
NeSmith said she had urged the board to follow what she described as the same process used in 2015, including independently interviewing and recommending a director.
WUWF asked the mayor’s office to clarify the reason for NeSmith’s removal and whether it was related to the director hiring process. A response had not been received by publication time.
Under the Board’s bylaws, appointments are made by the county commission, the Pensacola City Council, and the Mayor of Pensacola. The bylaws outline how the board may recommend removal of a member to the appointing authority, but do not detail limitations on an appointing authority’s ability to remove its own appointee.
What happens next
The Escambia County Commission is scheduled to consider the county administrator’s recommendation at its March 5 meeting. The public forum begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by the commission meeting at 5:30 p.m.
Moreno is expected to recommend that the commission confirm Christal Bell-Rivera as library director with an annual salary of $113,547.20 and a $400 per month car allowance.
Commissioners could approve the recommendation, reject it, or seek further clarification about the respective roles of the Administrator and the Board of Governance.
At the center of the debate is a broader question about governance and public confidence. Citizen boards are created to provide oversight and informed input. County administrators are tasked with managing departments and recommending leadership to elected officials.
Whether the Board’s recommendation is binding or advisory may ultimately be clarified by the commission. For now, the issue has brought renewed attention to how the library system is governed and how major leadership decisions are made.
