Daviess County Fiscal Court voted 3-1 on Thursday to appoint attorney and pastor Tim Kline to the Daviess County Public Library Board, with Commissioner Chris Castlen casting the lone dissenting vote.
Every seat was filled as more than 100 people packed into the Fiscal Courtroom, with several standing along the walls as debate over the appointment once again drew community interest.
Despite the crowd, Fiscal Court followed its standard public comment procedure: only one person from each side was allowed to speak. Representing opposing viewpoints were Daviess County Citizens for Decency Chairman Jerry Chapman and Cheryl Brown with the Coalition for an Inclusive Daviess County.
Chapman urged commissioners to approve Kline’s appointment, framing it as a matter of integrity and child protection rather than partisan politics.
“Many from the other side have called this board appointment political. I would counter. … No, this isn’t about politics. It is and always has been, about protecting and nurturing the children of this county,” Chapman said.
He cited recent court rulings regarding library authority in collection decisions, arguing that conservative values aligned with legal precedent.
“How else are libraries supposed to choose books on their shelves, if not by discriminating according to content and viewpoint? Separating the gold from the garbage means, by definition, rejecting some books and referring others because of what they say and how they say. This is common sense,” Chapman said.
He concluded by urging the court to confirm Kline.
“You’re sitting up there because you led voters to believe you would stand for those conservative values. Voters have every right to expect you to stand up for those values tonight,” he said. “Tim Kline also reflects those values. Do the right thing tonight.”
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, Brown said the appointment process lacked transparency and ignored qualified candidates submitted by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA).
Brown said that the Coalition represents a broad alliance of congregations and civic organizations which “happen to believe that every human being in our community deserves to be respected, valued, and empowered,”
She added, “Our public library deserves to be an institution free from political, religious, and personal influence, and the First Amendment deserves the same respect as the Second.”
Brown criticized Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen’s decision to nominate Kline, pointing to what she called religious extremism in recent nominations.
“It is a clear overreach of power to ignore well-qualified applicants to place peers that support one’s own religious ideology on a public board,” she said. “… Science is not on your side. History is not on your side. Compassion in the First Amendment is not on your side, and the youth and young professionals are not on your side.”
Only Commissioners Janie Marksberry and Larry Conder spoke before casting their votes.
Marksberry said she had heard from more residents on this issue than any other in her tenure. She argued that criticisms of Kline’s race, sex, or religion were misplaced.
“Only when Mr. Kline was nominated did race, religion, and sex suddenly become an issue,” Marksberry said. She emphasized her conservative values, adding, “As long as I am a member of this court, I’ll continue to fight to protect the innocence of young hearts and minds. … This isn’t about pushing religion. It’s about common sense.”
Marksberry said her decision was also influenced by learning Kline has teenage children.
“For me, that was all I needed to know,” she said, noting that candidates with firsthand experience as parents of teens bring a valuable perspective to discussions about age-appropriate library materials. She added that she hoped residents would recognize her vote as consistent with the values she has expressed since running for office.
“I won’t compromise my faith or my convictions, and I won’t apologize for standing up for children,” she said.
Conder acknowledged the divisiveness of the issue and said it was among the most charged matters the Fiscal Court has faced.
“This has been one of the most charged events that you’ve had, and it continues to be. … It is truly sad that it continues to be divisive, that it fuels so much,” Conder said.
He noted that Fiscal Court had received more than 260 emails about the nomination, ranging from personal stories to harsh criticism. Conder said he did not contact anyone beyond a single clarification with one individual, but read every message in order to weigh the community’s concerns.
He added that he spoke directly with Kline before the meeting and came away reassured.
“We had a very good conversation, asking questions back and forth. … This moment is paramount for us to move forward as a community, that we can get along, that we can reach across the aisle,” he said.
Commissioner Chris Castlen cast the lone no vote, saying afterward that his decision came down to the division the appointment had created in the community.
“You know, weighing everything that I had … it was just the right move for the community,” Castlen said. “It was about community for me and doing things, making decisions I knew were going to be difficult.”
Castlen said he respected Kline personally but believed the appointment was too polarizing.
“Nothing against him. I enjoyed talking with him, getting to meet with him. … He seems to be, just based on our conversation, good at what he does. But it just seemed like (his potential appointment) was a win-lose. And I don’t want that for the community.”
Castlen added that he would prefer a candidate that both sides could accept, even if imperfectly.
“We need to find a common ground for somebody on the board so that it helps to bring the community together,” he said.
Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen similarly did not address his vote during the meeting but said afterward that he believed Kline was a strong nominee regardless of how Fiscal Court voted.
“I thought I had a good nominee, whether I had the votes or not,” Castlen said. He explained that he sent the nomination to commissioners one week before the meeting and chose not to lobby them directly. “Last time, I was criticized for not giving enough notice, so this time I sent the name out and told them to check their email.”
Castlen acknowledged frustrations from both supporters and opponents but said his focus was on moving forward.
“The temperature in the room is very high. … My hope and prayer is that the (library) board does a good job,” Castlen said.
Owensboro Times noticed Kline speaking with Brown after the meeting and asked about the conversation. He told reporters he intends to listen respectfully while serving.
“Basically, what I said is ‘I’m not going to promise you I’m going to do whatever it is you’re wanting me to do, but I will try to be respectful and courteous,’ and I think that’s really what we need on both sides,” Kline said.
Kline also rejected accusations made against him personally, particularly claims on social media.
“To be called a white nationalist by people who never talked to me … I thought that was unfair,” Kline said, noting that his grandmother was imprisoned in a Nazi camp during World War II. “I believe everyone’s entitled to dignity and respect. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to agree with everybody and everything.”
Asked about the ongoing disputes over library materials, Kline said he would take a measured approach.
“I think it depends on what’s being said and how it’s being said … I’ll look at everything on a case-by-case basis,” he said.
Kline said he wants to reduce the hostility around library board debates, saying, “We just need to be able to talk to each other.”
Kline will take over the seat left vacant by former Board President Susan Montalvo-Gesser. However, Kline does not automatically become Board President; the DCPL board will vote on officers at a later date.
Kline was nominated by Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen, who declined to advance two sets of names submitted by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA).
Noting that Montalvo-Gesser is a lawyer, Castlen previously emphasized that his decision centered on maintaining an attorney on the board, a practice he said dates back to when the current library structure was created in 1995.
“I’ve got a history of all the appointments, and there has always been an attorney on the board,” he said. “I think it’s important, especially in these days of arguments about what’s legal and what’s not, to have an attorney on there. That was my main thing.”
Kline, who turns 48 later this month, graduated from Daviess County High School in 1995 and went on to the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he finished first in his major. He earned a master’s degree in international affairs and national security studies at the University of Kentucky before serving as an Air Force intelligence officer with deployments in Saudi Arabia during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He later earned a law degree from UK and began his career at a New York law firm before returning to Owensboro in 2010 with his wife and twins. Kline has since worked as a corporate attorney while also serving as a pastor at Christ the Redeemer, an Anglican Parish.
Kline has served on numerous boards, including the Regional Water Resource Agency (current), the Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission (former commissioner), and several Owensboro nonprofits such as the Rotary Club, Daniel Pitino Shelter, RiverPark Center, Alma Randolph Charitable Foundation, and Care Net Pregnancy Center.
