Former Crawford Supervisor Charles Carnes, prior to his resignation last month, needed to consider a successor to take over and ensure that the town would be in good hands. The decision was a no-brainer for the board, and its members appointed Councilman Mike Menendez as supervisor as of the town’s January 16 meeting. Carnes asserted that Menendez, between his time on the board and in the agriculture industry, has the skill set and experience to excel in a leadership role and will do the town justice.

Menendez grew up in the Town of Montgomery, living on his family’s dairy farm in Walden. He graduated from Valley Central High School and earned a Bachelor’s in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech. Following graduation, Menendez dedicated his career to agriculture and has worked for PEAK Genetics, an artificial breeding company, for 35 years, handling dairy and beef cattle.

Menendez moved to Crawford in 1994 after marrying his wife Joann. Taking a page from his father-in-law, he sought to serve his community and felt that government was a great avenue to explore. After receiving encouragement from Carnes, Menendez ran and became a town councilman in 2001, serving on the board since.

“My father-in-law (Henry DeVries)was on the planning board for many years, and also on the Republican committee in the Town of Crawford. He was the first person that gave me some input as far as serving in government, or serving your town in any capacity,” Menendez said. “He was a very strong proponent of serving the town you lived in, and there are various ways you can serve a town besides on a town or planning board. So my father-in-law got me into politics.”

“In 2000, there were a couple of board members who were thinking of stepping down. Charlie, who I’ve known for nearly 50 years, called me one day and said ‘Hey, would you be interested in running for town councilman?” he continued. “I said yes, and that was the beginning.”

Throughout his 25 years on the board, Menendez has served as a liaison for nearly every facet of Crawford’s government, including the police department, highway department, and parks and grounds department. He frequently taps into his extensive agricultural background, sharing his expertise with fellow officials and ensuring that the town maintains its rural nature and farming roots. Menendez has also collaborated with the board on numerous projects and initiatives, from infrastructure improvements and walking trails to the Main Street revitalization and new senior center.

As a 33-year resident, Menendez loves living in Crawford and appreciates the town’s small size, open space, and passionate community. He is especially proud of how far the town has come along over the last few decades, providing residents with abundant amenities while keeping their tax bill under the state cap.

“We built a new highway department and senior center, we continue to improve services in water and sewer, and we’re developing new wells, with another coming online here soon. Charlie and his boards have touched every aspect of the town and really made it a wonderful place to live,” Menendez said. “And I love the people here. I have a family here, with children and grandchildren, and Crawford is what a local town should be. It’s people that know each other, appreciate each other, and enjoy being in the town together. It’s like a small family.”

Moving forward this year, Menendez and the board want to pick up where Carnes left and continue improving the town through several upcoming projects. A few of these include sidewalk upgrades, a senior walking trail, a new well, pickleball courts for Bullville Park, and preparation for the New York Forward grant process. Menendez looks forward to taking on the town’s challenges as supervisor, and he assured residents that the board will keep Crawford a thriving, affordable place to live.

“As I always stress, we’ve been a town which has stayed under the 2 percent state tax cap every year that it’s been in place. And we’re proud of that, because we don’t want to do a lot of things, then go back and demand more funding from residents,” Menendez said. “We’re just going to continue the work that Charlie and the previous board started, where every aspect of the town is improved or enhanced, so that the people who live here enjoy living here.”