Caledonia-Mumford board administers oaths and settles leadership after split voice votes

The Caledonia-Mumford Central School District board administered oaths of office and moved through a contested leadership selection at its July 9 meeting.

Newly elected board member Mike Balenick was sworn in during the meeting. Balenick recited the oath: "I, Mike Balenick, do solemnly swear ... that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of New York, and I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of board member." The oath was administered by district official Robert Molasani.

The board opened nominations for president. Christopher Richter and Liz Dietrich were both nominated. An initial voice vote did not produce a clear, conclusive result; a presiding member stated the board "did not have a president," and said that for the remainder of the evening the board would proceed with business items that did not require formal resolutions until leadership was resolved.

The board later reopened nominations for president and nominated Liz Dietrich. The transcript records voice votes of "ayes" and "nays" during that selection. The board then nominated and elected a vice president by voice vote; the transcript shows members saying "Aye" for the vice president nominee. The meeting proceeded with the business items the presiding member said could be handled without a seated president.

The meeting record does not include a roll-call vote count in the transcript for the president selection; outcomes are recorded as results of voice votes and by the presiding member's procedural statements. The board tabled agenda items that require formal resolutions until leadership could be confirmed and staff could finalize actions that would be performed when students were not in the buildings.

The meeting adjourned its business for the evening without additional resolution votes that required a seated president.