Budget passes: Kanarvogel and Graffagnino continue on board

The Shelter Island community gave a solid vote of confidence to its school district Tuesday.

Residents cast 269 ballots in favor of the $10.046 million budget to fund the 2013-14 term and 89 against.

But the real nail biting came awaiting results of the vote for school board members with two open seats and only one candidate — Mark Kanarvogel — running.

Mr. Kanarvogel secured another three-year term and with 250 ballots and Thomas Graffagnino received 64 write-in votes and will continue on the board for another three years, despite his original intention to step down this year.

Board members and candidates had to wait it out while poll workers literally cut the sheets from the voting machine because write-in ballots weren’t lining up so they could be counted.

Using the cut sheets, they were able to determine that in addition to Mr. Graffagnino’s vote, there were other write-in candidates: Ian Weslek with 34 votes; Richard LoMuscio, 6; former School Board President Rebecca Munday, 3; Jack Monaghan, Arthur Bloom, Kathleen Lynch and Patricia Quigley, each receiving two votes; and one vote each for Mary Dwyer, Clarissa Tybaert, Jay Card Jr., Ben Heins and Kathy Doroski.

“I’m happy to serve again,” Mr. Graffagnino said.

“I’m happy for Tom,” Mr. Kanarvogel said.

Both Superintendent Michael Hynes and board president Stephen Gessner thanked district residents for the positive budget vote. “All the hard work paid off,” Dr. Hynes said.

“The voters of Shelter Island showed their support and I appreciate the hard work the board did in putting forth a fair and responsible budget,” Dr. Gessner said.

Mr. Kanarvogel has been a board member for five years and ran for a three-year term last May, but faced opposition from Marilynn Pysher and Board President Stephen Gessner. Ms. Pysher and Dr. Gessner received the most number of votes, each securing a full three-year term, while Mr. Kanarvogel, as the low vote-getter, got one-year term to complete the unexpired term of Kim Reilly, who resigned from the board in October 2011.

Mr. Graffagnino has served three three-year terms and will now serve a fourth.