Residents to vote on library budget and elect trustees
Residents have a couple weeks to mull over the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library's proposed $4 million 2017 budget before the September 15th vote. Voters will also select four trustees out of a pool of five candidates to fill trustee positions that expire at the end of 2016.
Two of the four seats will represent the Town of Halfmoon while the remaining two will represent Clifton Park. Jason DiGianni, Purushothaman Srinivasan and Vincent M. DiGiulio are running for the two Clifton Park trustee seats. DiGianni and Srinivasan are both incumbents while DiGiulio is a newcomer to the race.
DiGianni, a 15 year Clifton Park resident, has spent the last year serving at the Board's president. "I seek another term on the Board to continue my work positioning the library as the center of shared learning in our community - a place where community members can satisfy their curiosity and share their passions together," said DiGianni.
"I worry a lot about our increasingly disconnected lives," he added. "To be sure, the internet has dramatically increased our access to information, made communication instant and ubiquitous, and brought us together in many ways. However, that convenience and instant access has also led to a decrease in direct interaction with fellow citizens," said DiGianni. The advantage of the library, according to DiGianni, "is that it can establish a nurturing environment to have meaningful conversations, share in learning and open up new possibilities for connections."
Srinivasan, a member of the finance committee, has spent the last 15 years working in the semiconductor industry in the United States. "I consciously chose to live in the Clifton Park community as this provides a great environment for the kids and the family. One of the assets that I believe this community possess is the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library," said Srinivasan. Srinivasan said he is passionate about education and is motivated to give back to his community. "My vision is to support and keep making the library an essential and important resource to the community for lifelong learning," he said.
DiGiulio has lived in Clifton Park since 1970. "I have watched the library grow from its very humble beginnings on Old Route 146 to its current modern setting on Moe Road," said DiGiulio. "The library has provided me with many very useful services over the years and has been a source of pride for me in the community," said DiGiulio. He added, " I believe libraries are a vital part of any thriving community and that they provide many services to all members of the community without regard to race, color, creed or any socio-economic strata."
M AttmoreIncumbents Mark Attmore and Russell Wise are running for the two open seats representing Halfmoon. Attmore, the chair of the library's long range planning committee, has called Halfmoon home for the past six years. Wise, a Halfmoon resident of 18 years, is the board's treasurer and chair of finance and audit committee.
In total, 11 trustees sit on the library's board - Clifton Park is represented by seven trustees while Halfmoon is represented by four trustees. Each trustee is granted a five year term, once elected.
Clifton Park - Halfmoon Public Library's board of trustees announced the library's 2017 budget proposal Friday August 26. The proposed budget for the upcoming year is $4,291,416. The total tax levy is $4,164,706, which is 2.25 percent more than the tax levy in 2016.
Residents will cast their votes on the library's proposed budget Thursday September 15 between 7 a.m. and 9 .m. at the library located at 475 Moe Road in Clifton Park. Voters must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the vote. Absentee ballot applications are available online.
Two of the four seats will represent the Town of Halfmoon while the remaining two will represent Clifton Park. Jason DiGianni, Purushothaman Srinivasan and Vincent M. DiGiulio are running for the two Clifton Park trustee seats. DiGianni and Srinivasan are both incumbents while DiGiulio is a newcomer to the race.
DiGianni, a 15 year Clifton Park resident, has spent the last year serving at the Board's president. "I seek another term on the Board to continue my work positioning the library as the center of shared learning in our community - a place where community members can satisfy their curiosity and share their passions together," said DiGianni.
"I worry a lot about our increasingly disconnected lives," he added. "To be sure, the internet has dramatically increased our access to information, made communication instant and ubiquitous, and brought us together in many ways. However, that convenience and instant access has also led to a decrease in direct interaction with fellow citizens," said DiGianni. The advantage of the library, according to DiGianni, "is that it can establish a nurturing environment to have meaningful conversations, share in learning and open up new possibilities for connections."
Srinivasan, a member of the finance committee, has spent the last 15 years working in the semiconductor industry in the United States. "I consciously chose to live in the Clifton Park community as this provides a great environment for the kids and the family. One of the assets that I believe this community possess is the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library," said Srinivasan. Srinivasan said he is passionate about education and is motivated to give back to his community. "My vision is to support and keep making the library an essential and important resource to the community for lifelong learning," he said.
DiGiulio has lived in Clifton Park since 1970. "I have watched the library grow from its very humble beginnings on Old Route 146 to its current modern setting on Moe Road," said DiGiulio. "The library has provided me with many very useful services over the years and has been a source of pride for me in the community," said DiGiulio. He added, " I believe libraries are a vital part of any thriving community and that they provide many services to all members of the community without regard to race, color, creed or any socio-economic strata."
M AttmoreIncumbents Mark Attmore and Russell Wise are running for the two open seats representing Halfmoon. Attmore, the chair of the library's long range planning committee, has called Halfmoon home for the past six years. Wise, a Halfmoon resident of 18 years, is the board's treasurer and chair of finance and audit committee.
In total, 11 trustees sit on the library's board - Clifton Park is represented by seven trustees while Halfmoon is represented by four trustees. Each trustee is granted a five year term, once elected.
Clifton Park - Halfmoon Public Library's board of trustees announced the library's 2017 budget proposal Friday August 26. The proposed budget for the upcoming year is $4,291,416. The total tax levy is $4,164,706, which is 2.25 percent more than the tax levy in 2016.
Residents will cast their votes on the library's proposed budget Thursday September 15 between 7 a.m. and 9 .m. at the library located at 475 Moe Road in Clifton Park. Voters must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the vote. Absentee ballot applications are available online.