North Merrick Library budget, trustee vote approaching

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North Merrick Public Library voters will have before them two candidates for one trustee position, as well as a $2.6 million budget, at the April 25 vote.

Ivo Antoniazzi and Kristin Frost are both running for the seat vacated by Marion Schurade, according to Library Director Tom Witt. Schurade served as a trustee for 10 years.

Frost has lived in the North Merrick School District for 10 years, and has a son who graduated from Calhoun High School. A graduate of Nassau Community College, she also holds a state license in health, has worked for more than 25 years in marketing for the health care industry, has served as director and vice president of several businesses, and serves on the leadership team of the Friends of the North Merrick Library.

“I believe that libraries are the lifeline of the community — the integral center,” Frost said. “Trustees play a key role in marketing and preserving the future of libraries, and with [my] professional background and passion for [my] library and community’s success, I believe I would only complement the existing board.”

Antoniazzi has lived in North Merrick for 30 years, and, he said, his family members have been constant patrons of the library. He holds graduate degrees in statistics, mathematics and computing, and has 50 years of experience in graduate education. He and his wife have also been active members of the Camp Avenue School PTA, and he has served on the board of two not-for-profit organizations.

“By becoming a member of the board, [I] hope to formally contribute my experience in education to the benefit of the library and all its patrons,” Antoniazzi said.

The proposed 2018-19 library budget is within the state’s recommended tax cap, with a total budget of $2,639,544 of which $2,623,393 is to be raised by taxes, Witt said. The budget represents a $128,200 increase over the current year’s.

The trustee election and budget vote will be held at the library on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.