North Shore Baord of Education Trustee Richard Galati, photo from Schneps Media archives
The North Shore Board of Education accepted the resignation of Richard Galati as a trustee and provided the district with three options going forward to replace him.
Board President Andrea Macari presented the board and the district with three options to fill Galati’s vacant seat. They could choose not to fill the seat, hold a special election for his replacement or have the board appoint someone to fill the seat.
While the board could simply leave the seat vacant, Macari presented potential logistical problems with the decision.
“Our attorney has said that the commissioner does not really appreciate that the seat remaining unfilled,” Macari said. She also pointed out that “if we have a board of six, that increases the likelihood that we will not have a quorum,”
A quorum must be present in order for a board or committee meeting to convene or for any vote to be official. A quorum consists of a simple majority, meaning more than half of the appointed members of the board must be present for official voting.
The second option would be to hold a special election to fill the seat. But between the numerous costs of an election, including supplies, machines and legal notices, it would cost between $25,000-$30,000, according to Christopher Zublionis, district superintendent.
The winner of the special election would complete Galati’s term, which he won re-election to in 2023.
The costs of a special election would be on top of the costs for the votes in May for the budget and trustee position. Another hurdle that comes with a special election involves planning and timing.
“We have to provide notice, advertise in the papers like we do in the May election. The best scenario would be February 2025,” Zublionis said.
The final option would be for the board to appoint someone to the seat. The appointment would last until May and if the temporary trustee wished to run again, he or she could, according to Macari. However, if they chose not to, the seat would be open for an open election.
If this happened the available seats for election would increase from three to four, and the person who has the fourth highest tally of votes would get the seat.
After the options were presented, board members shared their opinions on how to move forward. The board did not vote on what to do, instead deciding to hold an executive session Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. to discuss the alternatives.
Galati’s resignation was announced at the beginning of the Nov. 7 meeting of the board. The night before the meeting Galati called Macari to announce his resignation. He was not present at the meeting announcing his resignation or at the discussion about the replacement of his seat.