Village board elections will be held Tuesday, June 21. In North Syracuse, voters will choose from two candidates for one open seats on the North Village Board of Trustees. Trustees are elected to two-year terms.
Paul Linnertz is running for a full term after having been appointed to finish the term of Gary Butterfield, who left his seat to take over as mayor. Linnertz, who is running on the Republican line, is being challenged by former trustee Chuck Henry, a Democrat. Henry did not respond to the Star-Review’s request for information.
Residents can vote at the North Syracuse Community Center, 700 South Bay Road, North Syracuse. Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m.
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Paul Linnertz
Biographical information
I was born and raised in North Syracuse, where I attended St. Rose of Lima School and North Syracuse High School. I studied respiratory therapy at OCC. My wife Debbie and I have lived in our home in the village for 33 years. We raised our four children here. I am not enrolled in a political party. I was a village trustee from 1997 to 2001 and again from 2011 to the present.
I was a volunteer at NAVAC for 10 years. I joined the North Syracuse Volunteer Fire Department in 1979. I continue to train and respond with the NSFD to this day. As a 37-year member of the North Syracuse Volunteer Fire Department I have held every position. I was honored to be inducted to the North Syracuse School District’s “Wall of Distinction” in 1995.
I have been employed by the City of Syracuse Fire Department for the past 31 years. My current position is chief of the department. As chief, my responsibilities include managing the second largest department of the city with an annual budget of $32 million.
Why are you running for office?
I am running for trustee to continue the forward momentum of the village. The Main Street improvements and other projects have made the village attractive to new local business. I have always voted to hold the line on tax increases. As a small community, we do not have an endless stream of funding. We must identify and prioritize future spending or the village will fail. The village’s single largest expense is public safety. We must work to maintain our level of service without taxing our residents to death.
Why are you the best candidate?
I feel my work experience, both as a volunteer in this community and a career firefighter, gives me a distinct advantage over other candidates. I know firsthand the challenges of developing a budget to maintain an expected level of service while meeting the fiscal constraints of the community. It is never easy, but tough choices must be made, and when necessary, I am willing to make them. During this year’s budget process I worked with the police chief to allow the purchase of necessary equipment. I also presented a number of cost saving ideas that were adopted by the board in the final budget.
