Board of Trustees Election and Budget Vote 2021
Thank You to all who voted!
The MPL budget vote passed, 229 – 59.
Congratulations to John Battista, Joseph Tock and Frank Del Campo on their reelection to the Board!
Vote Tuesday, June 8th, 7 am – 9 pm at MPL!
Board of Trustee Election
4 candidates are running for 3 seats on the Board
Trustee Candidate Statements
JOHN BATTISTA (incumbent)
John Battista is a life-long Mahopac resident, and has served for the past three years as an active member of the Library Board. He was chairman of the Advancement and Public Relations committee for two years, and currently chairs the Building and Contracts committee.
John attended Mahopac High School, and received a B.A. from Villanova University. He is a former Senior Vice-President of Marketing for a research firm, and is now working in retail.
John prides himself on his dedication to his community which is demonstrated by his membership in The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, The American Legion, and the Italian American Club of Mahopac.
FRANK J. DEL CAMPO (incumbent)
Frank J. Del Campo has been a Mahopac resident since 1968. He and his wife, Terry, raised five children here, all of whom attended Mahopac schools.
Frank spent 34 years in education, serving as both a teacher and administrator. During that time, he was elected as a Town Councilman and served in that position from 1986-1995. After retiring in 1995, he was elected to four consecutive terms as the Carmel Town Supervisor (1996-2003). In 2003, Frank accepted a position as Deputy County Executive and served in that position until he retired in 2006.
A current MPL Board member, Frank would like “to continue to serve my community and offer my administrative experience to make decisions regarding the maintenance of the building for the future.” If elected, he looks forward to working together as a team with his fellow Board members.
JOSEPH J. TOCK (incumbent)
Joseph J. Tock is a self-employed attorney with a law office in Mahopac. He has been practicing law for 38 years, and worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx for 7 years. He holds a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from St. John’s University and received his J.D. from St. John’s School of Law.
Joe is seeking his seventh term as a trustee, having served 18 years, including his most recent two year term as President of the Library Board. He has served on or chaired the Board Development, Bylaws and Policy, Personnel, and Long-Range Planning committees.
A member of the Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce since 1992, Joe received the “Business Person of the Year” award from the Chamber in 2006. He is a member of the Board of Directors and Past President of the Putnam County Bar Association. He is also a former member of Trial Lawyers Care, a pro-bono legal service for victims of 9/11.
Joe enjoys gardening, birding, fishing, golf, travel, and watching his beloved Mets. He lives in Carmel with his wife, Jean, and has raised 3 children in this community, all of whom attended Mahopac public schools. “I live, work, and play in this community,” says Tock, “and the community is the heart of our Library. I believe in the quality of life that we are privileged to have here in Putnam County.”
JOHN V. NICOLAIS
John V. Nicolais has lived in Mahopac for 30+ years with his wife, daughter, and two sons. He received his undergraduate degree in History from New York University, and obtained a Masters Degree in Financial Management from Pace University.
In addition to his accounting background, John served on the Mahopac Central School District’s Health Advisory Council as well as one year on the Middle School Parent Teacher Advisory committee. He has been an MSA coach, a Sunday school teacher, and served on the Journal News Reader’s panel.
John states that as a Board member it is important to concentrate on the main objectives of a library – which are to maintain the facility, and to provide as many resources as possible for the patron’s use.
Budget Vote
Key Budget Points for Fiscal Year 2021-2022:
- The Library budget is under the tax cap; the levy is unchanged from FY 2020-2021.
- The Library materials line has been increased to keep up with the demand for eBooks, audiobooks, and movies available on hoopla, kanopy, and Overdrive.
- The supplies line includes ongoing costs of PPE and cleaning/sanitizing material.
| EXPENDITURES | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
| Personnel | 1,375,000 | 1,375,000 |
| Payroll taxes & benefits | 390,000 | 400,000 |
| Library materials | 216,800 | 240,300 |
| Supplies | 27,000 | 30,000 |
| Staff development | 8,287 | 8,287 |
| Telephone | 9,000 | 11,000 |
| Internet | 7,500 | 9,000 |
| Utilities | 87,500 | 89,500 |
| Dues | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Building repairs & maintenance | 55,000 | 85,000 |
| Building contracts | 55,000 | 55,000 |
| Equipment contracts | 17,500 | 17,500 |
| Library programming | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Professional fees | 67,000 | 67,000 |
| Printing, publicity & postage | 16,065 | 16,065 |
| Election & legal notices | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| Computer maintenance contract | 55,000 | 55,000 |
| Insurance | 24,000 | 75,000 |
| Furniture, fixtures & equipment | 10,000 | 25,000 |
| Capital improvements | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Bond repayment | 571,650 | 0 |
| Transfer to Capital Reserve Account | 412,698 | |
| TOTAL EXPENDITURES | 3,031,302 | 3,010,350 |
| REVENUES | ||
| Fines, fees & gifts | 42,000 | 20,000 |
| Interest income | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Grants | 7,500 | 7,500 |
| Town of Carmel | 60,000 | 60,000 |
| Putnam County | 102,093 | 103,141 |
| Previously collected tax levy | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL REVENUES | 216,593 | 195,641 |
| AMOUNT TO BE RAISED BY TAXES | 2,814,709 | 2,814,709 |
Read the full Board of Trustees Election and Budget Vote Newsletter.