By Laura Lane
There has been talk around town that the library's attorney, William Cullen, had supported school district attorney Albert D'Agostino in a decision to keep the item off the Board of Education's agenda.
Contrary to reports circulating around the community, Cullen said he never met with D'Agostino before the March 15 Board of Education meeting. "I was very surprised that it wasn't put on the agenda, because it was a very usual request that the library resubmit the bond referendum at a school-district meeting," said Cullen. "It's done in many school districts."
The library attorney, who works for 16 Long Island library boards and two school districts, said he has never seen this happen. "This is the school district depriving voters of an opportunity to vote on the referendum," said Cullen. "I'm not accusing the school board of sponsoring or encouraging a campaign of public misinformation, but clearly there are some individuals in the community who are taking information and twisting it, distorting it for their own purposes."
Cullen prepared appeal paperwork to submit to the commissioner of education on March 16, when he received word that the library hadn't been included on the agenda. Cullen said, "That day, Mr. D'Agostino called to say the board was considering a special executive meeting for the 22nd or 23rd, but I told him that wouldn't be enough time."
Cullen reasoned that even if the board decided at the executive meeting to allow the vote, the schools would be closed on March 24, 25 and 28, making it unlikely that the needed paperwork could be drawn up in time to be published in legal notices in local newspapers. In order for the public to vote on the referendum, it must first appear in local papers 45 days before the vote. "I offered to meet with the school board in an executive session and did so on March 22," Cullen said. "That was to answer any questions and convince them to publish notification and reconsider their actions. They took no action after that."
There would have been no additional cost to taxpayers had they voted on the library's bond referendum on May 17. The library board has not decided when to ask the school board for another vote.
Cullen said that, without the bond, community residents would see a much higher spike in their tax bills if emergency repairs to the roof or boiler are needed. "Instead of the cost being spaced out over 20 years with the bond, it would get done in that year in additional taxes," said Cullen. "If this were a school building, the school district would be looking at this very differently."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
