Meet the candidates for Smithtown Public Library trustees

By Samantha Rutt

The League of Women Voters hosted a Meet the Candidates forum for Smithtown Public Library trustees Tuesday evening, Oct. 3, in an event held via Zoom.

Four of the library board’s seven seats are up for grabs this election cycle. Eight candidates appeared at the event, responding to questions previously submitted by community members.

The total votes a candidate garners will determine the length of his or her term, with the two highest vote-getters to serve the standard three-year terms. The third- and fourth-place finishers will serve from Oct. 11 through Dec. 31, 2024.

The remaining two open seats are currently being served by interim appointees, Anita Dowd-Neufeld and Barbara Deal — among those campaigning again — due to the resignation of previously elected trustees. The candidates selected for these offices will serve the remainder of their terms.

Topics addressed during the event were consistent with library budget inquiries, policy on censorship and banned content, the candidate’s relationship with the library and other community centers, and misinformation included in the library’s collection.

Running for a third term, incumbent board president Brianna Baker-Stines, who held a position at a library as her first job, expressed passion for preserving the library’s place in the community.

“The library has always been a safe space for me, I hope that I can show other members of the community how it can be a safe space,” Baker-Stines said. “I want to be on the board because I want to keep the library the way it is. It’s a paragon of intellectual freedom.” 

Censorship, a topic discussed throughout the night, was met with controversy from several candidates. Candidates fostered discussion over the allowance of censorship in libraries, the costliness of New York State investigations into the issue and the importance of parental oversight in choosing children’s literature.

“Libraries provide resources, and parents can choose which resources they want,” Baker-Stines said. “Censorship is not only morally ambiguous, it’s potentially illegal. It’s costly, and it’s time-consuming for our taxpayers.”

Another topic of prominence during the forum was that of the budget. Candidate Hector Gavilla, a real estate broker, expressed concern over installing an electric car charging station in the library parking lot.

“A $550,000 budget was approved for having electric vehicle charging stations throughout the library,” Gavilla said. “$550,000, for a very small percentage of people that have electric cars, I don’t see the educational value in that and how that is something that the library should offer.”

The proposed library budget for 2024 is calculated to be $17,292,960. This budget will cover property tax, salaries and employee benefits, library materials and programs, operation and maintenance and other expenses, including a 2.27% tax levy increase.

“I am looking to help and provide services for the entire community,” Gavilla continued. “Also, to be fiscally responsible with the taxpayer dollars, they should know their money is being spent properly.”

Similarly, candidate Christopher Sarvis concentrated his comments on the library’s function as a local hub and institution of learning for Smithtown residents. He pledged to be a champion for the library and its various causes.

“I’m here to be an advocate for this library, it’s a pillar of our community,” he said. “We need to look out for the sustainability of this library to keep it the pillar that it is in this community.”

The event was live-streamed and will be available on the library’s YouTube channel until Oct. 10, Election Day. Voting will occur from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at all four Smithtown Library District buildings.