Registered voters in the Mattituck-Laurel Library District will be voting on the proposed 2026 budget as well as elect two (2) trustees, to fill two (2) at-large seats, each with a three-year term commencing November 10, 2025 and expiring November 13, 2028.
Two incumbent trustees are running for another three-year term: Jim Underwood and Katie O'Rourke
Budget Information Hearing: Monday, September 8, 2025 @ 5:30pm
Budget Vote & Trustee Election: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 9:00am - 7:00pm
Nominating petitions are due by end of day August 1, 2025. Information about the candidates will be available on this page after that date.
Registered voters residing within the Library District may obtain an application for an absentee ballot at the office of the School District Clerk, 385 Depot Lane, Cutchogue, during regular business hours. Absentee ballot applications are also available for download here in Spanish and English.
The absentee ballot application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the date of the vote, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the vote, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter.
This page will be updated with the legal notice once available.
2026 Proposed Budget Information
Mattituck-Laurel Library: Your Community Library
The pace of life continues to increase, even for our small East End town. Major changes in the world affect us directly, and often we find ourselves caught up in the rapid dance of caring for families, pursuing careers, and keeping up with social events and changing circumstances. For over 120 years, the library has served as a dependable, helpful, and safe space in the community. Beyond a location for lending books, the library is a beacon of unity, equality, and opportunity. Here, we have a chance to tend to life’s daily needs, enjoy a fun program together, or even take a quiet moment for ourselves. When in doubt or need, you can turn to the library to find support — and that comforting fact is worth supporting in turn.
Mattituck-Laurel Library — your community library — is a vibrant, welcoming hub that facilitates lifetime learning, personal discovery, cultural enrichment, patron interaction, and social assistance. We focus on offering a wide range of essential resources as well as relevant and engaging programs to enhance life in the community. If you haven’t made a connection with your library, please stop in. We are always eager to welcome you.
This past year, we welcomed just over 49,000 visitors and 277 new patrons. We circulated over 74,000 items, both print and digital, with our digital resources continuing to expand in popularity. Access to eBooks, audiobooks, movies, tv series, magazines and more are made possible through our e-resources such as Hoopla, Libby, Kanopy and Flipster, to name a few. Explore our full offering of e-resources by navigating to our website; select “Research and Learn” on the menu bar, and then select “A to Z resources”.
With the help of community partnerships and the careful planning of our Adult Services, Youth and Parenting, and Teen Departments, we hosted 653 programs and saw over 10,000 attendees.
Our library building plays a central role in keeping our community connected not only through our materials, classes and programs, but also through our Wi-Fi and computer services. Patrons and visitors enjoy access to our six public access computers which saw 3,314 unique sessions while our Wi-Fi had 3,865 guest connections.
Our three public meeting spaces saw increased use from various community groups, library programs and folks needing a quiet space to study, tutor or work from home. We hosted 607 room reservations in 2024, a 38% increase (439 room reservations in 2023).
For a small community library, we offer a wealth of services, resources and opportunities to connect.
For your consideration, the Board of Trustees present a budget for 2026 of $1,816,067. This includes a Tax Levy of $1,789,817 an increase of $2.77 per thousand of assessed valuation. For the average household (assessed valuation of $7,000) this year’s increase amounts to approximately $19 for the year.
Please support your community library by voting at the Budget Vote and Trustee Election at the Library on Tuesday, September 16th from 9am – 7pm. More information about the 2026 operating budget and trustee candidates will be available on the library webpage. A Budget Information Meeting will be held at the Library on Monday, September 8th, at 5:30pm.
We can’t wait to see you at the Library!
Warmly,
Shauna Scholl, Director, and the Mattituck-Laurel Library Board of Trustees