Brian Manion
Republican
Occupation: Director, Facility Operations
Question: Why are you running for town board?
Answer: I feel that change can be positive in many aspects of life. Town government is no different. I have always looked for ways to give back to the community in an effort to make it a better place for ALL. I have a lot to offer the residents of Colonie.
Q: How will your experience serve you on the town board?
A: With 23 years of experience in both commercial and residential construction management/development (6 years running my own construction company), I possess the knowledge needed to ensure proper planning of future projects within the town. Development is very good for the town, however “some” areas of the town have been developed in ways that have created negative impacts on neighborhoods and quality of life has suffered as a result. Redevelopment of existing properties that have sat as eye-sores far too long, needs to be made a priority. Our roadways are in deplorable condition, something I intend to resolve. WE deserve better!
Q: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the town?
A: Having spent the last four months going door to door, listening to the concerns of our town residents, our challenges are many.
Many of our residents that I have spoken with feel they have no voice in the town, as phone calls to our current elected officials go unreturned. In addition, they feel there is a lack of transparency in town government.
The morale of our town work force is at an all time low, as departments across the board have been stripped of resources necessary to perform their jobs. Departments are operating with fewer resources and yet the town continues to grow. Public safety and infrastructure have been affected greatly by the reduction in staffing/resources.
There are roadways throughout the town that have not been patched since last winter, and we are headed into November. This is unacceptable!!
Areas of blight within the town need to be addressed.
Q: What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
A: Establishing better balance on the Town Board will help to bring a greater level of transparency to town government.
We need to create more incentives for developers to consider redevelopment of existing properties in an effort to curb blight.
I possess the ability to work very well with others toward solutions to issues facing the town and it residents, whether I agree with their ideals/views, or not.
A complete and thorough review of the town’s budget needs to be performed to identify waste and get tax-payer dollars working for the people of Colonie again. With all of the development we have experienced in the town, and the tax increases we continue to see each year, town residents should not be forced to settle for a reduction in services. By identifying waste and pursuing funding from outside programs/sources, we will bring the level of services back to where they should be.
