Voters okay budget, bonds

Shelter Island voters gave the school district a sweep at the polls on Tuesday, approving by wide margins the 2011-12 school district budget, a proposal to borrow up to $2.237 million for building repairs, and a proposal to borrow up to $600,000 for an emergency generator.

They also granted permission for the district to set up a reserve fund to operate Project FIT, the public gym facility at the school.

Voters elected Liz Melichar-Lechmanski to the School Board with 361 votes, re-elected board member Linda Eklund with 306 votes, and filled a third open seat with 44 write-in votes for Alfred Brigham. Ken Lewis, an incumbent who had not sought re-election, was the runner-up in the write-in balloting with 41 votes.

Tuesday balloting brought “very excellent results,” commented School Board President Rebecca Mundy. “This is very exciting, a nice way to end my years here. Mr. Hynes is here,” the new principal, “and he will have great support, and they will not have to worry about building issues.” Ms. Mundy’s term ends this spring and she did not seek re-election.

The board elections were never in much doubt because three terms were ending but only two people filed petitions to be on the ballot: newcomer to the board Ms. Melichar-Lechmanski and one incumbent, Ms. Eklund. The only question was whether someone could mount an effective write-in effort. Mr. Brigham appeared to have succeeded Tuesday night.

“I am going to give it a shot,” Mr. Brigham said Wednesday morning of accepting the board seat. He ran for the board last year but was hesitant to file a petition this year to get on the ballot due to the recent birth of his third child. He said he had heard over the weekend that people were going to write him in and he decided that he would accept.

A Shelter Island school graduate, Mr. Brigham is a teacher in Hampton Bays; his brother Walter is a teacher in the Shelter Island school, his father Walter was board president for several years. Mr. Brigham and his wife Rachel Reylek Brigham have three children and she is also a teacher in the school district.

There seemed to be little controversy over the proposed budget or the other propositions on the ballot.

The budget passed easily, with 383 yes votes to 132 against.

The bond for repairs received 341 yes votes to 170 no votes. The generator bond had 326 in favor and 184 against and the reserve fund for Project FIT was carried 366 to 144.

A total of 515 votes were cast, with 44 absentee ballots. The write-in votes were a record for Shelter Island, according to officials at the school Tuesday night.

There were a record number of write-in votes, according to Deborah Vecchio, district clerk.  Runners up were retiring board member Ken Lewis with 41 votes and William Hallman with 31 votes. Other write in candidates included Jack Monaghan (6); Mary Dwyer (3); retiring board member and Board President Rebecca Mundy (13); Lois Morris (2); Paul Shepherd (2);  Gerry Siller (3); Dianne Bowditch (3); Robert DeStefano (2); Roy Pellicano Sr. (2); and Walter Brigham (3).