Commissioners appoint solid conservative to Library Advisory Board

By John Labriola - Citrus County commissioners appointed a solid conservative to a vacancy on the the Library Advisory Board (LAB) on Tuesday after about two dozen residents urged them to do so. 

Mari-Elain Ebitz of Homosassa was chosen out of 17 applicants following about an hour of public input. 

Many residents cited the recent debate over the American Library Association (ALA) as a reason to choose someone who reflects the county's conservative Christian values.

The county cut ties with the far-left ALA last month at the LAB’s recommendation after dozens of residents expressed their outrage over the organization's aggressive promotion of drag queen story hours and sexually explicit materials targeting children.

Kathleen Thibos of Beverly Hills said a conservative member was needed for the LAB opening “so efforts to reestablish ALA dues will be thwarted in the future." 

Ebitz, a self-employed part-time web designer, has lived in Citrus County over 33 years and has an extensive background of community service. She is currently an associate member of the Aaron A. Weaver Chapter 776 Military Order of the Purple Heart. From 1999 to 2009, she served as Gov. Jeb Bush's appointee to the Board of Trustees of Central Florida Community College (now the College of Central Florida).

Ebitz told the Citrus Crusader that as someone who represents Citrus County’s conservative values, “my votes will always be to protect our children.” 

In choosing Ebitz to sit on the board, commissioners bypassed a list of six "recommended candidates" offered by Library Director Adam Chang and Community Services Director Eric Head. Their list included liberal library activist Terry Morriston, who has spoken at public meetings in support of the ALA and the library system's infamous June 2021 “LGBT Pride Month” propaganda displays. Missing from their recommended list, however, were all half dozen applicants who have publicly criticized the ALA's agenda. When questioned about it, Chang would only say his recommendations were based on the criteria of “experience and community involvement.”

The nine-member LAB now consists of four conservatives and right-leaning moderates, three liberals and two wild card members who vote both ways.

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