click to enlarge Photo via CitrusBOCC.com

Jeff Kinnard, Ronald Kitchen, Jimmie Smith, Scott Carnahan and Brian Coleman

click to enlarge Screenshot from Oct. 24 meeting

Citrus County commissioners unanimously denied a request from their local library to spend $2,700 annually on digital subscriptions to the, because the paper is “fake news” and they “agree with Donald Trump.”During an Oct. 24 discussion, all five members of the commission agreed to reject the funding request, which, coincidentally, was also the same day the Trump Administration announced that it was canceling federal agencies’ subscriptions to theand the“Do we really need to subscribe to the?” asked Commissioner Ron Kitchen Jr., while the others laughed. “I actually was going to say that,” said Scott Carnahan, who added, “Fake news, I agree with President Trump.”“I don’t want thein this county,” continued Carnahan. “I don’t agree with it, I don’t like ’em, it’s fake news and I’m voting no. They can take that money and do something else with it ... I support Donald Trump."County commissioners Jeff Kinnard, Jimmie Smith, and Brian Coleman agreed. The commissioners also made a point to say that their decision was not based on a lack of resources, and that the 70,000 library-card holders who reside in the county could just get home delivery.Ironically, in the same meeting, the commissioners declared October “Friends of the Library Month.”Sandy Price, the advisory board chairman for the county’s libraries, told the Citrus County Chronicle that she was disappointed and worried the commission, which is technically nonpartisan, was putting politics ahead of the public’s needs.“Someone’s personal political view does not have a place in deciding what library resources are available for the entire county,” said Price to the. “Libraries have to ensure all points of view are represented.”Thealso pointed out that the four commissioners who agreed to be interviewed do not read the. Despite heavy backlash from constituents, just one commissioner told the paper that he wanted to re-address the topic in the future.