OntheWilderSide

KW: Voters in the North Babylon School District had three big items to vote on: Elections for school board; the annual budget/taxes; and a proposition about how to elect board members in the future.

The results were:

The budget passed by 1,496 YES to 800 NO.

Three board members were running unopposed, and will be seated:
Audrey Jacullo with 1175
William Harrigan with 1131
John Caroleo with 1102

Proposition regarding elections passed by 1155 YES to 972 NO. See full text at bottom.

Since the proposition passed, the system to elect board members in North Babylon will change so that candidates for school board run for a specific seat. By changing this from an at-large to specific seat election, it now gives the voters less opportunity to change the composition of the board. It probably would have been more democratic and empowering to the electorate to keep it the old way.

On the other hand, if there is a board member who the community is upset with, this could be a good way to target that candidate with a strong opponent with a specific, opposing message and win. It will be interesting to see how this change plays out in district politics.

The full proposition which passed:

2009 Proposition No. 2: Election To Board Of Education By Specific Office

Shall the following resolution be adopted, to wit: RESOLVED, in all subsequent elections, vacancies for the Board of Education shall be filled as separate, specific offices, and candidates shall be elected by specific office/vacancy, and that the candidates’ petitions must specify office/vacancy on the Board of Education for which the candidate is seeking election; such procedure shall be followed in future District residents’ elections until and unless such proposition is repealed by District residents at the District’s Annual Meeting (Budget Vote).

Filed under: Education, elections, local, long island, Long Island Politics, News Tagged: | North Babylon, North Babylon School District