With the election behind us and the new year upon us, it is time to move forward and continue to serve the residents of the Town of Manlius. On behalf of the Manlius Town Board, I welcome Sara Bollinger as she was recently elected to a four-year term as Town Councilor commencing January 2018. The number of individuals who ran for public office and increased voter turnout reflects the interest our community has in continuing to ensure that the Town of Manlius remains a great place to live. I commend those who exercised their Constitutional right as a citizen by running for public office and making their voice heard on election day.
On November 15, 2017 the Manlius Town Board approved the 2018 budget with a slight rate increase of six cents per thousand of assessed value. For the first time in three years, a tax increase was necessary to offset a rise in health insurance costs and contributions to the New York State Retirement System. However, even with these increases, the Town of Manlius continues to be designated as a municipality with a low fiscal stress score calculated by the New York State Comptroller’s Office as part of its fiscal stress monitoring system.
2017 was witness to the retirement of Chief of Police Francis Marlowe. Chief Marlowe retired after serving nearly 50 years in law enforcement in the Town of Manlius. We wish him well and thank him for his dedicated service to the Town. During our comprehensive search for a new police chief, the Manlius Town Board appointed Richard Carbery to serve as interim police chief. Many of you may remember Chief Carbery from his prior service as Chief of Police from 1997 to 2002. The Manlius Town Board, in conjunction with the Police Committee selected Michael Crowell as the new Chief of Police. Chief Crowell took his oath of office in October. We welcome Chief Crowell back to the Town of Manlius where he spent 17 years on the Town of Manlius Police force. For the last five years Chief Crowell served as the Chief of Police in the Village of North Syracuse.
I encourage everyone in our community to attend a Town Board meeting or stop by town hall to get to know those who work to make Manlius an outstanding community. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at 315-637-3414 or by email [email protected].
Stay tuned in 2018 for additional online services to be added to the Town website such as online payments, added online forms and increased communications. The website can be found at www.townofmanlius.org.
