A power struggle within the small city of Clay is spilling over into decisions about which books belong on library shelves.

Last month, the city manager told library board members they could no longer purchase religious books, in an effort to avoid lawsuits from political groups. City manager Ronnie Dixon initially told library staff that they could not buy a Christian book, but, after complaints, later backtracked and allowed them to purchase it.

Dixon did not want the library to purchase “Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes” by Dave and Neta Jackson.

“The library should not do anything that would draw attention from watchdog groups,” Dixon said in a June meeting. “The library should not purchase books already in the JCLC if it could draw attention based on content of a religious or gender/sexual nature, and no books should be purchased if a religious book is used as the only source.”

Dixon’s statement caused alarm among Christians in Clay. While the state recently updated rules for how libraries should keep inappropriate books away from children, there are no restrictions on religious books or material.

Library board members also were confused.

In an email to Dixon, library board secretary Sarah Grafman said, “When I read the governor’s statement, which I remember discussing in previous meetings, it was my understanding that she was referencing LGBTQ+ content, not religious. My concern, based on your statement, is we are exposing ourselves to liability regarding religious liberty questions.”

In his response, Dixon said, “While most of our community would accept any Christian books we were to purchase, we do have watchers that will object and possibly escalate.” AL.com has left email and voicemail messages requesting an interview with Dixon.

Mayor Charles Webster said the situation has been blown out of proportion and has become more about a clash of “personalities” between the library board and Dixon.

“It was a miscommunication,” Webster told AL.com. Webster said a patron had complained about the book. “It wasn’t an issue. We just had one person question, ‘why are y’all putting religious books on the shelf.’ It wasn’t that we were against that book.”

The book was eventually approved and purchased.

Webster said he isn’t sure taxpayer dollars should purchase of books geared towards people from one religion.

“If you put a Bible on the shelf you have to put a Quran on the shelf,” Webster said. “You’re setting yourself up for a lawsuit when you start specifying stuff and you leave out one group. You have to allow for everybody. You can’t just do something for one group.”

Library board members are frustrated and feel they don’t have a lot of decision-making power.

“The city doesn’t want the library board to have a say in what the library does,” Grafman said. “I feel like it’s embarrassing to the city and no one really seemed to listen to me.”

She said she believes the Freedom From Religion Foundation is one of the groups Dixon was talking about.

“Because the city was receiving letters from them, that he thought it would that it would be better to stop purchasing,” Grafman said.

According to Grafman, Dixon threw the letters in the trash. But she didn’t see the letters herself; she said she reached out for clarification because “this seems like a weird stance to take.”

AL.com contacted the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s legal department to verify if any complaints were made to the City of Clay. The organization hasn’t found any documents so far.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a nonprofit group advocating for the separation of church and state, has complained this year about a high school football team’s religious motto and on-duty prayers at the Birmingham Police Department.

Tara Gearhart resigned as library director in June. Gearhart did not return AL.com’s request for comment.

Library board chair Jane Anderton said the city council should not make such decisions and that the bylaws mandate library boards be governing bodies. Mayor Webster told her that the board was only “advisory,” she said.

Dixon is supposed to be in charge of day-to-day library operations, including book purchases.

Anderton said every expenditure, even for small items like rugs, must be approved by Dixon before being purchased for the library, “like we’re going to our daddy.”

Concerns about governmental overreach were brought up at a July 9 library board meeting. Anderton said that Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Jefferson County) allocated $10,000 to the library and the board wasn’t informed. Webster said the money hasn’t been received.

She said Dixon “has done good things for the city,” especially in helping local schools. However, she thinks he should not oversee library operations.

Grafman said a board meeting to work on new curation policies and bylaws is July 23.