Vote for MMS Community Library Trustee Scheduled for September 15

SHIRLEY, NY – August 13, 2020 - The Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library District will conduct an election on Tuesday, September 15 between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm to fill a position on the Library’s Board of Trustees. The election takes place at the Library at 407 William Floyd Parkway in Shirley.

District residents interested in running for the Trustee position – which is a five-year term – must file their nominating petitions by Monday, August 17.

The term will commence on September 16 and end June 30, 2025.

“The Library is poised to enter an exciting period of expansion and modernization,” said Library Board President Joe Maiorana. “The Trustees serve as stewards of our Library, and we look forward to this new period of progress and growth.”

“One of the best ways to serve your community is to become a Library Trustee,” said Kerri Rosalia, the Library Director. “Within a few short years, we will have created new satellite branches in Mastic Beach and Moriches, as well as a modernized, central facility in Shirley, ushering in a dynamic new era for the Community Library.”

Interested residents can file nominating petitions by mail or in person with the Business Office of the Library between 9:00 am. and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, but not later than 5:00 pm, Monday, August 17. Each petition must be signed by at least seventeen (17) qualified voters of the William Floyd School District and must indicate the signer’s residence, as well as the name and residence of the candidate.

If permitted by Executive Order of the Governor, petitions may also be filed by email at businessoffice@communtylibrary.org.

To be eligible to vote, residents must be 18 years of age or older, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the District for at least 30 days, and registered to vote with the school district or the county Board of Elections. Registration forms can be downloaded here or may be obtained at any U.S. Post Office.

Applications for absentee ballots can be obtained at the Library during regular business hours and must be returned to the Library by September 8 if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter. If the ballot is to be personally picked up by the voter, the application must be received by 5:00 pm on September 14.

In either case, completed absentee ballots must be received at the Library no later than 5:00 pm on the day of the election, September 15.

Active military voters may request an application for a military ballot. A valid military ballot application must be received by the Library no later than 5:00 pm on August 20.

The library board election is for the position presently held by Nancy Marks, who was appointed by the board on February 19 to fill the unexpired term of Joseph Simmons, who had resigned from the board.

The annual election would normally have been held in April, but the Governor ordered that library district elections statewide be switched to September 15 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of the unpredictable circumstances relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also a possibility that the Governor may issue an Executive Order calling for exclusive use of absentee ballots for this election. The Library is committed to keeping residents promptly informed if this were to occur.

Since the board is not proposing any increase in the 2020-2021 operating budget, there will no budget vote.

For more information about the nominating process or about the election, contact Library Director Kerri Rosalia at krosalia@communitylibrary.org or 631-399-1511 x200.