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Simsbury’s Library Board Chair, Holly McGrath, is an avid “No Kings” supporter. She proudly displays No Kings signs on her front lawn and social media pages, and rarely misses an opportunity for a good protest. Presumably this means she’s against unilateral authoritarian governance.

However, when it comes to her own governance, her actions fail to match her activism.

At the Simsbury Library Board of Trustees meeting on December 15, 2025, McGrath staged a silent coup, effectively overthrowing the Board and the will of the voters who elected them.

With no mention on the meeting agenda, Trustee Marianne O’Neil, a long time Board member, former Board Chair and close collaborator with current Chair Holly McGrath, and Library Director Lisa Miceli made a motion to add approval to create a “Strategic Plan Committee” to the agenda. It appears the surprise addition was strategized and preplanned in advance.

Later in the meeting Madam Chair McGrath stated she and two other Democrat Board members would like to form a separate “Strategic Plan Committee” to steer the future direction of the library. Again, right on cue, Trustee and confidante Marianne O’Neil motioned to create this distinct entity which was quickly seconded by newly elected Trustee Heather Czuchta, a former librarian from Chicago. Without even thinking, the Library Board unanimously voted in favor and the coup was a fait accompli without question or fanfare.

Madam Chair McGrath proceeded to unilaterally appoint all committee participants, including individuals who neither held positions on the Library Board nor ran for office. Among the original 13 appointees were the President of the Friends of the Simsbury Library non-profit, Greg Golinsky, as well as two non-Simsbury residents, Children’s Librarian Stephanie Prato and Squadron Line Elementary School Media Specialist and teacher’s union co-president, Jamie Sepa. The majority, 8 of the 11 Simsbury electors appointed to the Board by Madam Chair, as well as both of the non-Simsbury residents, are all registered Democrats. This is a direct violation of state statutes requiring minority representation. Only three of the appointees were unaffiliated with any party, and no Republican was on the committee at all.

It was a complete takeover.

A local resident, who has been vocal about the ongoing improper management of the Library Board, raised concerns about the illegal formation and composition of the new committee in public comments at the March 16, 2026, board meeting that aired on Simsbury Community Media.

The abdication of responsibility by Library Board members against the will of the voters who elected them and the violation of the Oath of Office to uphold the law were at the center of her concerns.

She cited Connecticut state statutes about public library boards and noted that Simsbury’s Town Charter grants authority to create committees and appointment of members exclusively to the Board of Selectmen.

Her comments went on to point out Connecticut’s minority representation laws and mentioned that a recent committee meeting was in violation of FOIA “again”, an issue that already brought Library Board Chair McGrath and Library Director Miceli before Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Commission on multiple occasions.

She concluded her remarks by stating, “The Simsbury Library Board of Trustees is not a book club. It is a governing body responsible for an almost $2,500,000 town department that exists to serve the people of Simsbury,” and called for the termination of the Strategic Plan Committee, returning full decision making back to the Library Board elected by the people.

No Library Board members responded to the public concerns voiced at the meeting.

Chair McGrath continued holding Strategic Plan Committee meetings after the concerns were raised, but upon seeking and receiving a legal opinion from the Town Clerk, replaced one Democrat member with a single Republican appointee, once again unilaterally chosen by McGrath to reluctantly satisfy the state legal requirement of minority representation. There has been some discussion with the Town Clerk that the committee should consist of only existing Library Board members, but that non-members could “participate” as long as they don’t vote. How the committee evolves and who ends up on it when the musical chairs stop appears to remain solely within the purview of Madam Chair McGrath.

To date the Strategic Plan Committee has crafted and begun disseminating a survey to be completed by members of the broader public without prior review or authorization of the Library Board of Trustees. They have also voted on a motion to approve and distribute a press release, also without any Library Board review, oversight or approval. Additionally upon a motion made by Chair McGrath, the Committee voted to add an item to their February 25, 2026 Special Meeting agenda, yet again in direct violation of the Freedom of Information state law.

McGrath appears to have made every effort to include as many participants in the questionably-created survey as possible, ensuring that nearby organizations, such as the Italian American Club and the American Muslim Center, both located in the neighboring town of Avon, CT, are given an opportunity to complete it.

Nothing represents Simsbury residents and taxpayers like asking residents of neighboring towns to weigh in on what they want Simsbury’s taxpayers to provide in their library.

It appears that McGrath subscribes to the "do as I say not as I do" philosophy of No Kings governance.

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