New City Library Board Of Trustees Selects Officers On Thursday

The three trustees just elected to the New City Library Board will not get a say in the selection of officers for 2014. The current nine board members will choose the new president, vice president, secretary and treasurer at Thursday’s meeting as required by the library’s bylaws. The new trustees elected last Wednesday, Ralph Sabatini, Jeffrey Sasson and David Zuckerberg, will be sworn in at the January 16th meeting. 

The election of trustees for three open seats on the board drew about 1,200 voters and the vote on the combined New City and West Nyack library budgets got almost 1,100 votes. The budgets passed by a vote of 792 in favor of the combined $1,119,307 budget and 303 against. There was no increase in the New City Library budget and a 1.7 percent increase in the West Nyack Library’s budget.

Election Day did result in some controversy at the New City Library. Clarkstown Police report receiving one complaint in the morning that people were handing out election literature less than 100 feet from the entrance. When police arrived they did not see any violations. 

The winning trustees developed strong leads early in the four-hour-long vote count on Wednesday evening and held onto them. Ralph Sabatini received 842 votes from the unofficial count and wound up with 873 after absentee and provisional ballots were counted. David Zuckerberg had 807 unofficial votes and received 835 total. Jeffrey Sasson came in third with 784 unofficial votes and 812 official. 

Agin Antony received 446 unofficial votes and tallied 515 official.  Suresh Arya pulled in 393 unofficially and finished fifth with 455 votes. Carole Beth Goldberg increased from 241 to 253 official votes and Margaret Hook’s count rose from 191 to 247 official votes. Martus Granirer, a former trustee seeking to return to the board, received 60 votes unofficially and 62 in the final count.

Library Director Mitch Freedman alluded to the dissension within the board that existed before he was brought on board earlier this year.

“My job is to work with the board so I congratulate the winners,” he said, adding. “I hope and trust we will have a harmonious year. I’m hopeful we will move on.”

He spoke about three major issues that the board should expect to deal with next year. The library must meet a grant funding deadline and complete the renovation of its audio/visual area. New furniture and equipment will be arriving for the children’s room soon. Freedman said he just received a survey of the physical building from the condition of the walls and roof to the HVAC system and the board will have to decide what actions may be needed.

He said the board moved forward with several improvements this year including new audio/visual equipment in the meeting room, new sliding glass doors for the main entrance and a new phone system.

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Sabatini, Sasson, Zuckerberg Elected Library Trustees