Public hearing and budget vote for Southold Union Free School District scheduled for May 2026.

SUFFOLK COUNTY

LEGAL NOTICE





LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION

SOUTHOLD UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

TOWN OF SOUTHOLD, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, NEW YORK




NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN , that a public hearing of the qualified voters of the Southold School District, Suffolk County, New York, will be held in the Southold Jr.-Sr. High School Library in said District on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., prevailing time, for the presentation of the budget document.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN , that said vote and election will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 3:00 p.m . and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, in the Southold Jr.-Sr. High School Gymnasium at 420 Oaklawn Avenue, Southold, at which time the polls will be opened to vote by voting machine upon the following items:

ELECT THREE BOARD MEMBERS

To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education for three year terms commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2029 and one (1) member to complete the balance of an unexpired term commencing May 19, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2027.




PROPOSITION NO. 1

To adopt the annual budget of the School District for the fiscal year 2026-2027 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District; and

PROPOSITION NO. 2

To adopt the annual budget of the Southold Free Library for the 2026-27 fiscal year in the amount of $1,285,603. Such funds to be raised by taxation on the taxable real property in the Southold Union Free School District, and the Board of Education of said district is authorized and directed to collect said sum as provided by Section 259 of the Education Law.

PROPOSITION NO. 3

SHALL the Board of Education of the Southold Union Free School District be authorized to raise the sum of $183,155 for payment of operational and maintenance expenses on behalf of The Southold Historical Museum for the fiscal year 2026-2027 and annually thereafter and to levy the necessary tax.




AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required to fund the School District’s budget for 2026-2027 together with the text of any resolution which will be presented to the voters, may be obtained by a resident of the District during business hours beginning April 22, 2026, except Saturday, Sunday, or holidays, at the District Office, 420 Oaklawn Avenue, Southold, New York and at each school in the District. A Real Property Tax Exemption Report prepared in accordance with Section 495 of the Real Property Law will be annexed to any tentative/preliminary budget as well as the final adopted budget of which will form a part; and shall be posted on District Bulletin board(s) maintained for public notice, as well as on the District’s website.




AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be filed with the Clerk of said School District at her office in the District Office, not later than April 20, 2026, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Vacancies on the Board of Education are not considered separate, specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated, must be directed to the Clerk of the District, must be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the District, must state the name and residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that applications for absentee and early voting ballots will be obtainable during school business hours from the District Clerk. Applications for absentee and early voting ballots must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than thirty (30) days before the election. Furthermore, such application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election of the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or his/her designated agent. Upon receiving a timely request for a mailed absentee or early voting ballot, the District Clerk will mail the ballot to the address set forth in the application by no later than six (6) days before the vote. Absentee and early voting ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on May 19, 2026.

A list of persons to whom absentee and early voting ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the office of the District Clerk during regular business hours until the day of the election. Any qualified voter may, upon examination of such list, file a written challenge of the qualifications as a voter of any person whose name appears on said list, stating the reasons for such challenge. A challenge to an early mail voter may not be made on the basis that the voter should have applied for an absentee ballot.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law and has voted at an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar years, he/she is eligible to vote at this election; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he/she is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register.

The Board of Registration will meet for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law at the District Office of the Southold Schools, on any school day, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., ending on May 14, 2026, to add any additional names to the Register to be used at the aforesaid election, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register, provided that at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of said Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the register is prepared. The Register so prepared pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District at Oaklawn Avenue and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District beginning on May 14, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, on weekdays, and each day prior to the day set for the election, and at the polling place(s) on the day of the vote, except Saturday, by appointment only when it will be open for inspection between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., and Sunday.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law of the State of New York, the Board of Registration will meet on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 3:00 p.m . and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, in the school gymnasium at Oaklawn Avenue, Southold, to prepare the Register of the School District to be used at meeting and elections held subsequently.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a rule adopted by the Board of Education in accordance with §2035 and 2009 of the Education Law, any referenda or propositions to amend the budget, or otherwise to be submitted for voting at said election must be filed with the Board of Education at the District Office, on or before March 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., prevailing time; must be typed or printed in the English language; must be directed to the Clerk of the School District; must be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the District; and must state the name and residence of each signer. However, the School Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the power of the voters to determine, or any proposition which fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditures of monies is required by the proposition.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter in the school district. Military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may submit an application for a military ballot. Military voters may designate a preference to receive a military voter registration, military ballot application or military ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. Military voter registration forms and military ballot application forms must be received in the office of the District Clerk of the school district no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 24, 2026. No military ballot will be canvassed unless it is (1) received in the office of the District Clerk before the close of the polls