Karen Green is one of six candidates running for a councilor seat on the Manlius Town Board. There are three openings.

Occupation:

Manager, Stickley, Audi & Co.

Political background:

Republican

First time candidate, running for Manlius Town Board

Community involvement:

I have been involved in many organizations, including: F-M schools, past president: Academy Hill Association, board: Manlius Chamber of Commerce, past president: Onondaga County Medical Society Alliance, district councilor: Medical Society Alliance of State of New York, St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary, current chair: National Kidney Foundation Golf Classic.

Why are you running for a seat on the Manlius Town Board?

My good friend Councilor John Curtis decided to retire this year after representing the residents for almost three decades. Being native to Manlius and having a family history of involvement in local office in neighboring towns, serving in public office has always been an interest and an opportunity to give back to my community.

Name at least two key issues happening within the town that concern you and what you would like to do to address them, if elected.

What concerns me the most is what concerns most residents: taxes. I have had the opportunity to speak with many residents, some moving out of the area. The number one reason they were leaving was high taxes. I don’t like to see anyone leave, especially when they have raised their children here and enjoy the beautiful four seasons and the quality of life. With escalating costs of goods and services, it is vital that we scrutinize how every dollar is raised and spent. I look forward to working with all government officials, business leaders and residents to develop tax saving strategies.

We have had several accomplishments in economic development over the last few years. However, more needs to be done to create sustainable job growth. I remember very well the transformation of the Fayetteville Towne Center and the addition of the YMCA. As new economic opportunities are approached, we need to work together to maintain the safety, character, and well being of all residents of the town of Manlius.

Name at least two key issues happening within the town that you believe affect town residents (positive or negative) and what changes would you make, if any?

We need to continue to look at ways we can consolidate or share services within our three villages, town, and Onondaga County. Keeping operating expenses low without compromising the quality of services is a top priority.

With careful economic planning and development, job creation and retention are vital to long-term prosperity and improved quality of life. Not only do we need to protect current town businesses, we need to reduce the burdens of taxation and regulation to make the town more attractive to prospective business, concentrating on technology-based and green industry with high-income opportunity. This could reverse the trend of mass exodus of our children; the young educated future leaders of our community.

Why should Manlius residents vote for you?

I like to call it the 3 A’s:

Accountability — It has been a pleasure to serve my community over the years. I recognize the hard work it takes to get a job done well with transparency and dedication. You can count on me.

Acceptability — We all need to accept the responsibility of citizenship and set aside personal interests to work together. Many years of diverse managerial experience make me a highly qualified candidate for town councilor.

Accessibility — I will continue to represent the town of Manlius, always available to address needs and concerns while providing expert customer service to all of our town’s citizens.