John Mancini's Interview With The Milton Spotlight Newspaper

Spotlight Voter Guide Questionnaire—Town of Milton Town Board Candidates 2009

•Name:

John Mancini


•Age:

32


•Political affiliation:

Endorsed candidate of the Republican, Independence and Conservative Parties


•Occupation:

Counsel, New York State Conference of Mayors


•Work experience:

Training Director, NYS Commission on Public Integrity
Counsel, NYS Governor’s Office of Appointments

•Areas of community involvement (outside of any official town duties):

I serve on the Village of Ballston Spa Planning Board and was chairman of the Ballston Spa Bicentennial Committee in 2007. I was born and raised in the Village of Ballston Spa and have been involved in many other community groups including the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association and serve on the Northeast Health Foundation Board.


•Please summarize your platform.

As counsel for the NYS Conference of Mayors and former Training Director for the NYS Commission on Public Integrity, I have a thorough understanding of municipal government. My specialty is the issue of government ethics and I have proposed a detailed program to bring Milton’s ethics code into the 21st Century. As a fiscal conservative and homeowner raising two young sons in Milton, I also believe it is crucial to keep our town family-friendly and affordable by keeping taxes low, controlling spending and taking a proactive approach to new challenges and opportunities.

•Why do you want to sit on the Town Board?

With the recent groundbreaking for AMD/Global Foundries, our area is headed into a new era of development. Our town will face many challenges and opportunities in the coming years. I have the vision, energy and desire to take on these challenges proactively so that development happens on our terms.

•How do you see the role of a board member?

Local elected officials are the closest to the people and must be diligent, thorough and connected. If the link between people and their local officials doesn’t work, then the links to county, state and federal officials won’t work either. I’ll stay connected and represent my constituents’ needs and concerns.

•Are there any areas of the town budget that can be reduced?

With the economy’s poor performance, it’s not just families feeling the pinch but also local governments. Our town is faring better than most but we should still prepare for possible future difficulties. If elected, I will sit down with my fellow town officials to identify where we can trim costs.

•How would you/have you encouraged transparency in town government?

By maintaining open lines of communication with the public. I have run a person-to-person campaign. I give voters my personal e-mail address and cell phone number. My door is always open. That is how I will serve if elected.

•If elected, what would you like to see changed in the Town of Milton and how do you plan to achieve it?

We should be a model town for government ethics. I have proposed a comprehensive reform plan including updating our town’s Ethics Code, automatically reviewing the code every four years, requiring ethics training for all town employees and officials and providing employees with confidential ethics advice if they need guidance.

•What do you consider to be problem areas in Milton and how would you like to see them fixed?

As indicated in the previous question, we should do more to make Milton a regional model for government ethics and I have proposed an ethics plan. In light of the weak economy, we must also keep taxes low and cut unnecessary spending so we’re prepared for any future budgetary challenges.