Mahopac School Board Seat Kept Empty Until Vote

By Holly Crocco

With the recent resignation of Mahopac School Board President Jonathan Schneider leaving a vacancy on the board, trustees unanimously voted March 20 to keep his seat empty until the district’s May 20 vote.

The board also had the option to hold a special election, or appoint someone by a majority vote to fill the seat, but all members agreed it would be silly to spend time and money on a special election this close to the annual election, and that it would be best to let residents pick who they want to represent them.

Councilman Tanner McCracken said such a decision should always be left to the voters.

“We had a vacancy in the past, and my opinion has always been, no matter how much time is left in the term, no matter how close we are to the election, I never felt comfortable with the board – I know it’s a legal option – but I never felt comfortable with the board appointing that position. It’s a position derived from the people via an election.”

Those looking to run for a seat on the board must file petitions with the required amount of signatures by April 21. Contact District Clerk Melody LaRocca at laroccam@mahopac.org for information.

Schneider stepped down from the board in early March, about three months shy of when his term was set to expire, which was June 30. Vice President Fernando Martinez was elected to serve as acting president until the board’s reorganizational meeting in the summer.

Schneider, who served two years on board, told New12 Westchester he was unhappy with the way parents’ concerns were being addressed, and disliked seeing “things done that should not have been done” and obstacles to “obtaining information that should be free flowing,” among other concerns.

In a letter to the community, Superintendent Christine Tona said that was “misinformation” and “inaccurate.”

Schneider, who is a lifelong Mahopac resident and local business owner who also once served on the Carmel Town Board, also spoke during last week’s school board meeting to criticize the budget.