A message from the desk of mayor: Mark-Paul Serafin
July 15th marks the one year anniversary of the passing of our former beloved Mayor, Angelo "Arkie" Albanese.
I am honored to have been able to call Arkie Albanese my friend and to have had his support and encouragement as both a Manlius Village Trustee and Mayor. Arkie set the standard by which all current and past mayors are judged. His honor, integrity and humility not only brought out the best in Manlius, it brought out the best in ourselves.
Arkie¹s unyielding spirit always led us, as citizens and a village, not to cower at difficult moments. He inspired us to face down any trial and rise to any challenge. Arkie understood that each of us has a hand in determining the destiny of our village.
It is that same spirit we are called to show once more. We are facing an array of challenges... Closing the gap caused by the 50% loss of county sales tax revenue... Expanding where possible the sharing of services and equipment among our sister villages and town... Exploring the potential formation of a town-wide fire district... And meeting the needs of our existing fire station facilities are just some of the challenges that our village has been called to face.
And yet, there are those who would rather cast a critical eye and post negative comments than role up their sleeves to help... Those who would rather defend the status quo... Or worse, those who would rather dissolve the village all together.
Naysayers tend to have short memories. They forget that we, as a nation, did not get here by standing still in times of challenge and change. America did not become America by doing what was easy. Manlius did not become Manlius by doing what was easy either.
Now is the time to rethink our attitude toward government, demand more from our elected officials and neighbors alike. We must be mindful that we are all in this together... Together, we can build an even better Manlius that honors our heritage and has a strong vision for the future.
We are not a village that fears the future. We are a village that embraces the future. And today more than ever, we need to summon the spirit that led our founders nearly 200 years ago to charter the Village of Manlius in 1813... It¹s also the same spirit that empowered Arkie Albanese to serve his country, family and village in full measure .
Facing these extraordinary challenges will require extraordinary efforts that will certainly yield extraordinary results...
It¹s because of our sense of community and common purpose that we will make the most of this extraordinary moment in our village history. And it is how we will be able to write the next chapter in the story of the great Village of Manlius.
Thank you Arkie Albanese... For daring to dream your dreams. And most of all, thank you for leaving us a lasting legacy... The Village of Manlius.
The Honorable Mark-Paul Serafin
Mayor of Manlius
One Arkie Albanese Ave.
Manlius, NY 13104
315.682.9171
*Click here for updates on Manlius tax update information.
*Click here for a view of the 2010-2011 Village Budget
*The Mayor and Senator Schumer Unite in FEMA Flood Map Appeal. Click here for the full story.
*The Mayor's Remembrance of Lena Horne. Click here for more.
*May 24, 1980 - The Mayor looks back on the 30th anniversary of his graduation from RIT. See his personal reflection here.
