Grants Pass, April 22, 2025—A library volunteer and member of the Grants Pass Friends of the Library has filed a petition for redress of grievances to the Josephine County commissioners. Matthew Hoff filed the paperwork today, stating that “[t]he actions and inactions of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners regarding the lease of the Grants Pass Library facility constitute a significant breach of public trust and governance obligations, and violate the Charter’s mandate for library support and public accountability.”
The Josephine County Charter is a document that delineates the structure and powers of county government. Per Section 29.8 of the charter, Josephine County officials must respond within five days and provide a resolution within 60 days.
Hoff conceived of the idea to petition the commissioners during a discussion following a Grants Pass Friends of the Library screening of the SOPBS episode “Us As We Are: Regional Libraries.” The documentary featured the library district’s struggle to negotiate with the county after the commissioners terminated the library’s lease with 30 days’ notice in January 2025.
Hoff, a volunteer at the library, felt compelled to do something. “Libraries are more than buildings full of books — they’re people: volunteers, staff, and patrons who carried knowledge long before the walls of the library existed and sustained it even when the doors were closed,” Hoff said. “They are engines of opportunity—where every child, job‑seeker, and lifelong learner finds what they need to thrive.”
When Hoff suggested the idea of petitioning the commissioners to those attending the SOPBS screening, the group was enthusiastic and encouraged Hoff to pursue the idea.
“It’s so frustrating watching the commissioners ignore the library’s attempts to engage in good-faith negotiations,” said Jennifer Roberts, co-chair of the Grants Pass Friends of the Library. “Matthew’s idea to petition the commissioners seemed like a great way to force the issue so that our library can once again have certainty and stability.”
On Jan. 6, 2025, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners voted to terminate the Grants Pass library lease with 30 days’ notice and no prior consultation. From Jan. 6 through March 31, the county did not provide an explanation, indicate what it wanted, offer any lease terms, name a proposed rental rate, or send a termination notice. Despite this lack of communication, the library district responded with transparency and flexibility—offering multiple meeting dates and submitting a formal lease renewal proposal on March 25.
Four months after the lease was canceled, the Grants Pass Library remains in limbo—waiting for the county to act. Commissioners have acknowledged receipt of the district’s March 25 renewal proposal, yet they have offered no terms, scheduled no talks, and provided no substantive reply. In an April 4 memo, county legal counsel blamed “internal uncertainties,” possible department relocations, the pending sale of the Dimmick campus, and scheduling conflicts for the standstill, warning that no decision is likely before budget hearings.