Message from Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall:

I hope everyone in our community is staying healthy and coping with these unprecedented times.

I know this past year was very difficult for everyone – isolations, quarantines, and disruption in daily routines due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Although we are not sure what the coming year will bring, it is our sincere hope we will be able to resume some semblance of normalcy soon.

Here at the Village, there was the need to implement changes in operations all while continuing to provide the daily services required for our residents. For several months we rotated personnel in our Village Office, DPW and Fire/EMS Service to maintain the level of staffing needed to provide services and keep our Village running. Operations did become difficult at times for our Public Works Department when the snow started falling on days when plowing and trash pickup was a necessity. Our Fire Department was able to continue to provide a much-needed service to our residents even during high volume call days and shortened staffing due to personnel in quarantine.

Last year was also a challenging time for our Village Budget. Due to the pandemic, cuts in funding from the State and County were factors considered while putting together a budget that would enable us to maintain services to our residents without any tax rate increases. I am very pleased with the work our Village Board accomplished this past year providing a budget which met those very needs all while remaining in compliance with the NYS-imposed Tax Cap guidelines

Our Village Board works well together and will continue to work together providing services the residents expect along with welcoming new businesses to the area and making the Village of Manlius a place to be proud of. The cohesiveness of this Board is helping to make positive strides in your Village.

Many of our Village events were cancelled this past year and into the first few months of this year and hope to begin planning this years’ events soon if the restrictions are lifted where we can SAFELY restart. The Village was fortunate to be able to hold our first ever Holiday Drive-In Movie Event. We felt it was important to hold an event that people could attend while remaining socially distanced and safe. Our office staff, Village Board, DPW and Fire Department all volunteered to make this a wonderful event attended by approximately 120 families.

As you are all aware of by now, our Public Works Department has delivered new trash and recycling totes to all Village residents. They are currently collecting trash and by April 1st they will start collecting recyclables. With fees continuously increasing at the waste treatment plants, the Village Board along with the DPW felt taking responsibility of trash/recycling along with new totes would make it more cost effective, much safer for their personnel, and more uniform throughout the Village.

It is always a busy time for our office staff here at the Village Centre. Our Administrator and Deputy Clerk work diligently processing tax reports, payroll and permits. With that, comes the daily routine of paying bills, purchasing, board reports, scheduling, and the handling of questions and complaints. Most importantly, they are the backbone of this Village. Through them, information is gathered and disseminated to all the branches of our village government. Even during the pandemic, with rotating staff schedules, they were able to guide, direct and assist every village department in providing their services safely and effectively to the residents each day.

The Manlius Senior Activity Center keeps our Village Centre hopping, from their exercise classes to their daily luncheons, they fill our hallways and rooms with various activities that show there is still plenty of friendship, camaraderie, and life left as we grow older. Unfortunately, the Senior Center was limited to the activities they could provide during the pandemic. Therefore, they improvised their daily lunches and now provide over 500 bagged lunches to go each month. The Manlius Senior Center provides services to over 20,000 Seniors each year.

The Village Board, along with the Planning and Zoning Boards continue to work together with various developers and property owners to finalize the approval for new projects within the Village.

I understand that there have been ongoing concerns over vacant and dilapidated properties within our Village. I assure you that our Codes Officer stays on top of it, and within the past year several vacant homes have been removed, repaired, or remodeled. The Village also received a Main Street Revitalization grant last year and this Spring you will see many changes to store fronts, outdoor seating, and landscaping along Fayette and Seneca Streets

The Village is also working closely with the Syracuse Metropolitan Transit Council and the DOT on a study to make Manlius a more pedestrian friendly and traffic safe community. The committee has met to discuss certain concerns and ideas and will now move on to meet with the businesses to hear their concerns and then finish with the citizens’ concerns.

The Village has done a great job filling vacant lots, buildings and store fronts the past few years. We are currently working with a developer for a project on Fayette St. Several new businesses have moved into vacant buildings or store fronts such as: Café Kubal, National Eye Care, Manlius Fish Fry, Silver Fox, Yo Burrito, Rose Garden Nail Salon, Simply Fresh Flowers, All Who Wander, Boutique Joyce’, Empire Vac, The Station, Manlius Groomery and Sky Top Café.

It is my pleasure and privilege to work with such dedicated individuals and departments, whose goal is to serve this village and its residents by making it a community to be proud of. We strive to continuously improve our services while at the same time maintaining a workable budget and reasonable tax base. As we move forward this coming year, please do not hesitate to contact me with your concerns, questions, or suggestions.

The Village of Manlius is truly a fine place to live and raise a family. I am honored to be your Mayor, and I will continue to work towards bringing new and exciting projects to our community and do what is best for the Village of Manlius.

Respectfully,

Paul Whorrall, Mayor

Village of Manlius