Published 3/12/2024
The current situation
We have been open for one week as of today, and things have gone very well! There have been no major issues thus far, and we are excited to continue to serve the Hadley-Luzerne area.
As many remember, in order to open the library, the NYS Board of Regents (The state body that oversees educational activities in the state) had to step in and instate three board members to our Board of Trustees, so that our Board could resume normal function. Those three members, Margaret Hartley, Rosemarie Gardner, and Ted Mirczak, were all appointed for six month terms, ending June 2024. Additionally, trustee Jason Hall is an appointed trustee, and his term will also end June 2024.
This means that four trustee positions will be up for election in May 2024.
How this year’s election will work
Having four-fifths of any group be up for election at a single point is never an ideal situation, and while that is the reality this year, it will not be a recurring problem going into the future.
Of the four trustee positions, two will be full three-year terms, and two will be partial one-year terms. More specifically, the one-year terms are the conclusion of prior, unfinished terms of trustees who resigned. This means that in 2025, two seats will be up for election, one seat will be up in 2026, and another two seats in 2027, ensuring that the board will be a mix of recently-elected individuals and those with a couple years experience.
There will be four positions for election this May. The nominees with the most and second most votes will be elected for full three-year terms, following the expiration of the terms of Kathleen Jones and Janet Silburn. The third and fourth highest voted nominees will be elected to serve the remaining one-year terms vacated by Patricia Lewandowski and Kathleen Mitchell.
How does one become a nominee?
In order to become a nominee, you must be at least 18 years old, have been a resident in the Hadley-Luzerne Central School District for at least 30 days before the election, and be a qualified voter.
In addition, anyone looking to become a nominee must fill out a nomination petition and have a minimum of 25 signatures from qualified voters. Additional sheets may be needed to collect all signatures. Signatures may be collected by any qualified voter. Please collect signatures outside of the library building. Nomination forms can be found online here or can be acquired at the library.
Once all the prerequisites have been met, petitions must be filed with the School Clerk, Mary Visscher, no later than Monday, April 22, 2024.