Adam Brown is running for reelection as Johnson City Trustee. Brown was appointed in 2021 following the resignation of Benjamin Reynolds.
What motivated you to run for this position?
“I always put my community first and that’s why I decided to run for public office. I was on the [Johnson City] Planning Board in 2020, was appointed to trustee in 2021 and [am] now running for reelection. I have higher political aspirations long term. Helping out in the community and improving the lives of others is something very dear to me and I take great pride and satisfaction in seeing all of the great developments taking place as we rebuild and revitalize our community. So happy to see Johnson City going through this great period of growth and opportunity.”
How does your background and previous experience make you a good candidate for this position?
“My background suits me very well for political office. I graduated from Syracuse University with honors in speech communications, studied at law school in [New York City] and spent the past 15 years working with major media and communications companies nationwide with an emphasis on business development and public relations.”
In a proposed budget for 2022-2023 fiscal year the Johnson City Trustee board was projected to receive a 100 percent pay increase, the only increase for the first time in 15 years. What was the purpose of this raise?
“There was no 100 percent raise projected in the budget. This is false information made up by our political opponents who never one time came to a board meeting and just make up facts. The Johnson City [Trustee] Board has not had a raise since the 90’s. The elected officials earn less than one-third of what other local officials make in neighboring municipalities. We decided on a 25 percent raise, which both Johnson City Republicans and Johnson City Democrats thought was justified. Even with the raise, the board makes less than half of neighboring government boards.”
How do you envision the communication between your board, the mayor’s office and the citizens of Broome County?
“The Village of Johnson City is the most transparent local government in the state of New York. Every month we provide our residents, businesses and visitors with a newsletter that highlights every single department in the village. We willingly provide information about the [Johnson City Police Department (JCPD)], [Johnson City Fire Department], Code, Planning, Parks, Public Works, Public Services, Water, [Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Facility] and much more. You won’t find a more transparent local government anywhere in the state and maybe beyond.”
What do you offer the students and youth of Broome County and why should they vote for you?
“I am focused and determined to make Johnson City better than it has ever been before. Since I started in office, we have enhanced every single Johnson City park, pushed through development for the Oakdale Commons, [Endicott Johnson] Victory Building [and] downtown Main Street development, brought Code into the village to clean up our streets, invested in community programs and local engagement, provided JCPD the resources to get crime down, [helped] our fire department become one of the top departments in the state, [pushed] for investment in rebuilding our infrastructure and [provided] a safe and fun place for our kids and families to live, work and play. Republicans, Independents and Democrats are excited about the direction the Village is going [in].”
Editor’s Note (11/6/22): A previous version of this article stated that Brown could not be reached for comment. Brown had not been contacted by Pipe Dream staff prior to Election Issue. Upon becoming aware of this error, Pipe Dream received responses from Brown and updated this page on Nov. 6. Pipe Dream regrets the error.