Manlius mayor charged for violating recycling laws

It would appear the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” strikes a chord with Manlius Village Mayor Mark-Paul Serafin.  The mayor is in legal trouble again after he was accused of taking returnable recyclables from the recycling bin of a resident.  Manlius police issued Serafin a criminal summons Monday after they received a complaint from a village resident.

            The charge itself is similar to a traffic violation, but Serafin’s troubles may not end in court.  This is the second time he has been accused of taking recyclables from other people’s bins. 

In late September, he was charged with violating recycling regulations and is scheduled in a DeWitt court at as-yet-to-be-determined date.  Serafin said he was unaware of the village code and was using the money he collected to pay for medicine for his dog, which died over the summer.

            The Mayor was also named in a police report stemming from the disappearance of a sausage lunch at the Manlius Fire Station in late September.  Serafin’s name was brought up because he was the only one in the building when the lunch had to be delayed because of a call, and when the firefighters returned, the food was gone.  Serafin denies taking the food, and the department dropped charges.

            But the most recent charges make this the third time in two months that Serafin’s name has been involved in a police report.  Neither the Mayor nor his lawyer had comments on the newest charge; Serafin is scheduled to appear in Manlius Village Court on Nov. 4th.