Voters Pass Pearl River Library Budget, Elect Van Wynen to Board of Trustees

Tuesday's Pearl River Public Library election drew 576 voters, the largest turnout in over 20 years.

The proposed Pearl River Public Library budget for 2012-13 passed Tuesday night with 77 percent of the vote, 443 for and 125 against.

Voters also elected Elizabeth Van Wynen to a five-year term on the library's board of trustees. She received 325 votes to 204 for Jennifer Brebbia Rankin in her bid to take over the seat that had been held by Anne Brebbia, Rankin's mother, for 25 years.

"This is my first foray intto anything like this," Rankin said. "I didn't even know I could be here tonight. This is all new to me. I knew there was a vested interest in the school board to have someone connected with it, so I knew it would be a fight. I am thrilled with the amount of parents who voiced that they were coming. I'm happy to be a part of that. We accomplished a lot of things even though I didn't win. I will still do things for the library."

"I think it goes to show that it needed to have a couple of poeple running for this position," Van Wynen said. "The interest was stirred up, whether it was me or Jen (who won). It's good to see people interested in the library."

Pearl River Library Director Kathy Rose had records dating back to 1991, when 571 people voted, the most over the last 22 years until Tuesday. Only 261 people took part in the 2011 library vote, though there was only one candidate for the one open seat on the board of trustees.

"It is a great thing that happened tonight and I am very humbled by the overwhelming interest in the library," Van Wynen said.

"I think (the turnout) speaks volumes," Rankin said. "Maybe you don't have to (combine the vote with the school district). You just have to improve communication."

The $2.23 million budget includes a 1.99% tax increase. The tax levy increase is 2.18%, which is within the state-mandated cap due to the allowable exceptions.