Florida Public Library Vote on April 7

Residents of the Florida Public Library district will go to the polls on Thursday, April 7 for the library’s annual budget vote and trustee election. All registered voters in the Florida Union Free School District are eligible to vote. The vote will take place at the library from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Applications for absentee ballots are available at the front desk or on the library’s website at www.floridapubliclibrary.org.

The ballot will contain two propositions, one for the library’s proposed budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year and one for the election of three trustees to the board. A tax levy of $500,933 is offered for voters’ approval. This represents an increase of 1.59% or a total of $7,806. Estimated tax rates are an increase of 2 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to $1.36 for the Town of Goshen and 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to $6.08 for the Town of Warwick.

Two incumbent trustees and one newcomer are running for the three open seats on the library board. Trustees Diane Arcieri and Tyler Carey will be joined by Sara Taylor on the ballot. Two seats are for full 3-year terms and one seat will be a 1-year term to finish out the balance of former trustee Kevin Lundell’s term. The top two vote getters will secure the full terms.

Diane Arcieri has lived in Florida for over thirty years and is retired from a long career in human resources management and organizational development. She currently pursues a variety of post-retirement interests in the Florida-Warwick area. Diane is currently serving her third term as a library trustee and is completing her first term as a Trustee on the Ramapo Catskill Library System’s (RCLS) Board. She is a member of the Friends of the Florida Public Library and an advocate for many other Library sponsored programs. She says, “The Library is a community jewel and is an active partner in providing new and innovative ways to stimulate and meet the needs of our growing population. It is known for the friendliness you feel when you enter the doors and for the children who find their voice and creativity through the many innovative programs and events offered.” She would like to continue supporting the Library in its plan for future growth and help maintain its active role as the “go-to” place in the community.

Tyler Carey and wife, Marlene, have lived in Florida since 2008, and their three children attend local schools. Tyler studied writing in college and has worked in publishing and technology. Since 2014, he has worked for an employee-owned company that edits and typesets books for publishers. He volunteers as a Cub Scout den leader, in professional publishing groups and as the Dungeon Master for the Library’s Dungeon & Dragons online group. His whole family uses the library.

“I have always been impressed with how much the Library, which is not a big building by any stretch, is able to accomplish within its footprint. Think of everything that this single building offers, programs for all ages, a safe and supportive environment for our tweens and teens, job training for adults, free internet and computer access for all are just a few of the many services offered by the library,” says Tyler. He would like to see an expansion of everything the library does to meet community needs.

Sara Taylor and her family have resided in the Village of Florida since 2017. She is a graduate of Colby Sawyer College and has a background in Graphic Design and Marketing. Sara is involved in the Golden Hill PTA and the Friends of the Florida Public Library. She and her daughter are active library patrons and their favorite things about the Library are the programs to suit all tastes and the welcoming and friendly staff who go above and beyond to answer a question or help find a good book. “I see the library branching out to meet the needs of its patrons – such as expanding the Library of Things, offering many diverse programs and highlighting the unique history of our Village,” says Sara.