Three running for two library seats

Three people have their names on the ballot for the two open seats on the Rockville Centre Library’s Board of Trustees.

Incumbents April Wexler and Charles Kelleher are being challenged by William Victor, who ran as a write-in candidate in the last Board of Trustees election. The library election is at-large, so the two candidates with the most votes will win the two seats.

April Wexler

April Wexler has been Rockville Centre resident for most of her life. She lives in the village with her husband, Jon Reichert, a financial analyst for Standard and Poors, and her daughter Molly, a junior at South Side High School. Her son, Jacob, graduated from SSHS and is a sophomore at Cornell University.

Wexler is a Federal Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Regional Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board for 24 years. She graduated from South Side High School in 1980, received a BA from Colgate University in 1984 and a JD from New York Law School in 1987.

She has been a Trustee of the Rockville Centre Public Library for nearly 9 years. Wexler began her first term in July 2004, and has been re-elected two more times.

“I’m running because I think my job isn’t done yet,” Wexler said. “I think [my job is] ensuring the integrity of the library and continuing to serve the community of Rockville Centre, to ensure the library continues to provide the wonderful quality of service it has been providing, that we meet all budgetary constraints and that we continue to grow and reach out for new technology.”

Wexler also said that one of her top priorities is programming.

“I want to continue to improve our programming,” she said, “to improve our staff and have them grow professionally and continue within the budgetary constraints that are put upon us and do that in a wise way.”

Charles Kelleher

Charles Kelleher, 47, has been a resident of Rockville Centre for the last 17 years. He and his wife Patrice moved back to the village where Charles was raised. Kelleher is a graduate of St. Agnes High School and holds a B.S. from St. John’s University. He is currently employed by the Suffolk County Police Department as a Sergeant. Charles and Patrice have Erin, a sixth grader, and Chuck, a third grader, both at St. Agnes.

Kelleher is running for his third term as a Library Trustee and has held every position on the Library’s Board of Trustees. He was also been a founding member of the Rockville Centre Library Foundation Inc.

The RVC Library Foundation is a charitable 501(c) 3 corporation that was formed to provide for the library in the form of long-term capital planning. In addition, the foundation will provide a process through which grants available only to nonprofit 501(c) 3 programs could become available to the library.

Kelleher touts the work that the library staff does and said that one of his goals is to increase their salary.

“We’re still below the average median salary for librarians in Nassau County,” he said. “The director, who runs the whole thing, makes less than a school teacher in Rockville Centre.”

Kelleher said he has become in tune with the library’s operation and wants to continue his time on the board. “I view it as community service,” he said.

William Victor

The challenger in this year’s race is William Victor. A lifelong resident of Rockville Centre, Victor is running because he sees possible changes in the library and would rather be proactive than complain.

“I’d rather do something than complain,” Victor said. “And there are some things that can improve. It’s a huge tax bill that we get for the library.”

Victor said he would like to see more and newer computers in the library, as well as expanding the programming the library offers.

“I think maybe we should have more events for children,” he said. “I’ve looked at the activities and I don’t think there’s enough.”

He also said he would make himself available to residents via phone so he could listen to and address their concerns.

Victor said he would like to look more closely at the budget and see if there are savings to be had anywhere.

“Things can be improved,” he said. “And I don’t want to grouse about it, I want to try to do something about it and effect some change. I may not get everything, but at least we’ll move in the right direction.”

The elections for the library Board of Trustees will be held on May 21 with the Board of Education and school budget elections. Residents will also have the opportunity to vote for the library budget.