Last week, we revealed the coordinated effort by Escambia County officials to smear Bradley Vinson. Why? Because the West Florida Public Libraries Board of Governance made her its unanimous recommendation for library services director, and County Administrator Wes Moreno, HR Director Nikki Powell, County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger and her aide, Melanie Luna, wanted the less qualified Christal Bell-Rivera to get the job. Read The Plot to Smear Bradley Vinson.
#1 This week, we reputed Moreno’s claim that the library board was rude and hateful to his staff during a Oct. 27 meeting with an interview with Lori NeSmith, whom Moreno asked Mayor D.C. Reeves to remove from the board and the actual recording of the meeting. Read Library Board Member Disputes Moreno’s ‘Hateful’ Claim.
#2 We also pointed out that the resolution, interlocal agreement and WFPL bylaws didn’t expressly give him the power to remove NeSmith. They do not give the county administrator to the authority to ignore the Board of Governance’s recommendation and select his own candidate for library director. Did Mayor Reeves Have the Power to Remove Library Board Member?
#3 And lastly, Moreno, HR Director Powell and other county officials have argued that the library board is only advisory and the county administrator runs the library system. We have the actual video from the January 2013 meeting when the county commissioner established the Board of Governance. Moreno and his minions are wrong. The Videos Escambia County Officials Don’t Want You to See.
I have put all the public records in one place. Feel free to review them. Escambia County officials lied to the commissioners and the public. Check out Library Public Records.
- The WFPL Library Board of Governance meets at 4 p.m. on Monday, June 22, at the Brownsville Library, 3300 W. DeSoto Street. The meeting is open to the public and has a public forum. The new business includes live streaming of the Board of Governance meetings, vacant board positions and media relations. Read 2026-06-22-library-bog-agenda.
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