Huntington library budget OKd

The $8.6-million 2011-12 budget for the Huntington Public Library passed 539 to 308 on Tuesday.

The budget is an increase of 4.6 percent over the current budget. Residents will see a 2.76 percent hike in their library tax bills, library officials said. The vote totals include absentee ballots.

Trustee Charles "Chuck" Rosner also defeated Andy Jarmolowski, 457 to 377, for one seat with a five-year term. Rosner was elected to the seat he has held since early 2010, when he was appointed to fill the last few months of an unexpired term. Last spring, he was elected to the final year of that term.

The term on the five-member board begins July 1.

During the campaign, Rosner, 72, accused Jarmolowski of lying about his education credentials and being a "union-recruited, selected and supported candidate."

Jarmolowski, 44, said he did have the support of the union, but "I would really just want to give everything a fair look and a fair shake."

On his candidate biography, Jarmolowski said he had received a bachelor's degree in English from Rutgers University in 1989. But a woman at the registrar's office there said an Andy Jarmolowski attended the school for a year in 1985, but did not receive a degree.

Jarmolowski could not be reached for comment about his academic history.