With the Finkelstein Memorial Library election approaching, many local residents have raised questions about why four trustee seats are suddenly up for grabs. Monsey Scoop investigated the situation and can now confirm that the upcoming election stems from a series of governance failures, legal missteps, and recent board resignations.
The confusion began in 2024, when the library board voted to expand from five to seven members. However, as library attorney Robert Schofield later explained during the December board meeting, the library’s charter had never been amended to allow such an expansion—rendering two of those seats invalid. Additionally, trustee Vivian Street, although re-elected, failed to take her oath of office within 30 days, creating another vacancy under state law.
To resolve the issue, Schofield recommended that the remaining four legitimate board members appoint two new trustees and reappoint Street until the next election. He also advised creating staggered term lengths to prevent multiple simultaneous vacancies in future elections. The board subsequently appointed Esther Waldman and Sandra Duncan to serve until 2025 and adopted the staggered term plan. However, the reappointment of Street was voted down.
Between August and December 2024, when Waldman was supposed to take her seat but was repeatedly delayed by board inaction, she began to grow frustrated over what she saw as mismanagement and lack of leadership. She launched a review of the board’s bylaws, education law, meeting minutes, and recordings. What she uncovered, according to sources and documentation reviewed by Monsey Scoop, was a consistent pattern of dysfunction and non-compliance led by then-board president Mr. Alexandre.
These issues included procedural irregularities and poor transparency, which contributed to the mishandled 2024 election and overall stagnation in board operations. In February 2025, Waldman, by then appointed chair of the By-Laws and Policy Committee, submitted a formal Notice of Written Complaint against Alexandre. Monsey Scoop obtained a copy of his resignation letter, dated April 2, 2025—just one week after the complaint was presented to the board. In the letter, he wrote: “After careful reflections and considerations, I have decided to resign from my seat on board, effective immediately… I wish the library remarkable success in the future.”
Following his departure, Vice President Darnett Davis assumed the role of Interim President by default, in accordance with board structure. Since then, the board has begun implementing long-overdue changes, including acting on financial audit recommendations, appointing a treasurer, exploring a new branch location in northern Ramapo, and moving board meetings to a more accessible venue to improve transparency and public involvement.
The four seats now open in the 2025 election include those of the former president, Vivian Street, and the two appointees—Esther Waldman and Sandra Duncan. Of the four, only Waldman is seeking re-election. Five new candidates have entered the race for the remaining three seats: Yehudis Gottesfeld, Yossi Rubinstein, Goldie Golding, Sharon McIntyre, and Kusar Asghar.
With a majority of the board now subject to change, this year’s election marks a pivotal moment for the library’s governance. Residents are urged to vote and take part in shaping a more transparent, accountable, and community-focused board.
