TOWN OF MANLIUS – Two candidates are vying to replace long-serving Onondaga County Legislator Kevin Holmquist in the 10th district, which is comprised of most of the town of Manlius. Republican Mark Olson has been the mayor of Fayetteville since 2004. Democrat Heather Waters was elected to the Manlius Town Board in 2019. A map of the district is available below the candidates’ profiles.
Mark Olson
REP, CON, IND
Occupation: Mayor of Fayetteville, 2004-Present; regional sales manager, Tri State Marketing
How will your experience serve you in government?
My experience in public service goes back to the age of 14 when I first joined the Fayetteville Fire Department. Later in life I became a village trustee and now have been Fayetteville’s mayor for the past 17 years and still active with the fire department.
My experience maintaining a balanced budget, lowering taxes, and providing top of the line services from waste disposal to beautiful parks will parlay perfectly into my work as your next county legislator. As mayor I have worked directly with county executive’s office, WEP, DOT, Office of Emergency Management, Community Development Board, County Office for Aging as well as social services. These relationships and my experience working with these departments will help all the residents I serve in my new role as legislator.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
Fayetteville has been a beautiful slice of the suburbs for many years. Nothing is ever perfect, but we are always working to grow and change to adapt with challenges that we might face. Our community has mostly made it through the public health aspect of the pandemic, but the economic impacts will be felt for quite some time. We have to work together to build up our community and each other.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
As a community, we are coming together to support local business. People are being more intentional about buying local and supporting small businesses. This is the grassroots step to rebuilding, and we can all take part in it on our own. At the County level, we need to continue to invest in the Main Street and Community Development Block Grant programs that have helped revitalized local town centers and villages. These funds attract new and returning customers to local businesses, from restaurants to print shops to artist galleries. Thanks to incredible investment coming from the American Rescue Plan, towns and villages are being given direct funds to do some of this work themselves, through infrastructure improvements and more. As county legislator, I will support our residents. Communities are made up of individuals who want the best for our neighbors. By prioritizing people over politics, we can rebuild rather than divide.
Heather Waters
DEM, WOR
Occupation: Assistant dean for advancement, Syracuse University; Town of Manlius Board Member; Community mediator
How will your experience serve you in government?
I currently represent our 30,000+ town of Manlius residents, and Onondaga County’s District 10 is nearly the same area. The county and town have similar departmental operations, from wastewater to law enforcement. I delivered a balanced budget to residents during the pandemic, and I can lean on my 22 years of experience securing grants, as well as my training as a mediator. I made sure that at the first meeting of my term, residents had a new “open podium” for public comment, and we have robust citizen engagement in our comprehensive planning process (across all age groups).
What do you think are the biggest challenges in your community?
Too few people know how to make their voices heard by the legislature on the annual $1B+ county budget, much less the plans for the additional millions in rescue funds. We must demonstrate that we value the health and prosperity of our families and independent businesses as much as the possible sales tax revenue we can generate from a new tourist-friendly project. We need to demonstrate continued commitment to equity and opportunity for all, and the understanding that the villages, towns, Syracuse City, and County need each other to thrive.
What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
Let’s make all the legislature’s meetings fully accessible (both in-person and remote). 2) Help the county’s Health and Human Services to partner significantly with town/village recreation departments on public health education and programs (mental health support, nutrition, smoking cessation, preventing tick-borne diseases, as a start). 3) Enhance support for civil service exam preparation and commercial driving training, directly marketing to those who have paused or switched careers during the pandemic. 4) Dust off, update, and vote on the 2012 Sustainability Plan, which should include models for towns/villages to take the NY Climate Smart Communities pledge. 5) Work creatively with youth ages 13-16 to increase bus ridership, and promote biking and pedestrian safety with running and cycling communities across the county.
