Incumbents want another school board term
All three incumbents will seek another three-year term on the Shelter Island Board of Education.
Elizabeth Melichar-Lechmanski, Linda C. Eklund and Alfred Brigham filed petitions Monday indicating their intent to run again. There were no other candidates.
Ms. Eklund was first elected to the Board of Education in May 2008, so her re-election will represent a third successive term.
Ms. Melichar-Lechmanski is completing her first term this year. Mr. Brigham won a write-in vote for his first term when a seat opened because incumbent Ken Lewis decided not to seek re-election three years ago. Mr. Brigham received 44 write-in votes to Mr. Lewis’ 41.
Mr. Brigham had run for a seat in 2010, but lost to incumbents Thomas Graffagnino and Kim Reilly. In 2011, he didn’t file a petition because he had just become a father to a third child. But he said at the time that when he heard about the write-in campaign, he decided he would serve if elected.
Petitions — each containing at least 25 signatures — had to be turned in by 5 p.m. Monday to secure a place on the ballot.
Voting takes place Tuesday, May 20, at the same time residents will go to the polls to act on the proposed school budget. That budget request, which was due to be finalized Wednesday night, was expected to be for $10.45 million unless the Board of Education made changes at their final work session. At that figure, the district would be keeping within the state-imposed tax cap, with a tax levy falling at 1.7 percent.
Full profiles of the candidates will appear in the Reporter prior to the May vote.
