Mancuso won't seek re-election; Monroe mayor's race wide open

MONROE - The race for mayor of Monroe is wide open. Incumbent Joseph Mancuso is stepping down after 11 years in office. Mancuso said he was not seeking a fourth term because of the difficulties in balancing full-time work with the part-time mayor’s job. The mayor’s office and two trustee seats will be up for grabs in the March 21 village election. The list of candidates starting to make the rounds, asking residents to sign their petitions, is already growing. Village trustee John Karl is expected to announce he will seek the post. Karl has been a trustee on the board for two years. He will likely be running with Lake Street merchant Charles Lesser, a newcomer to the political scene who will be will be seeking seat on the village board. Village trustee Jeff Peiffer also has thrown his hat into the ring. He has been on the board for eight years. Running on Peiffer’s slate for the trustee seats are Wayne Chan of the Monroe Volunteer Ambulance Corps and James Purcell. The list gets longer with Scott Ferguson, the Town of Monroe’s bookkeeper, announcing he will be running independently for one of the two trustee seats. One of the issues facing the candidates will be the fate of the unfinished movie theatre on Mill Pond Parkway. Other concerns include growth, even though the village is largely built out, as well as taxes, traffic and the overall future of the village, including its financial history. The mayor’s annual salary is $15,215. The term of office is four years. Trustees are paid $7,607.50 and also serve four-year terms.