Niagara County Legislature tabs Sobczyk as clerk

by Dan Hager
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, March 16, 2006

Less than 12 hours after the Niagara County Legislature tabbed James Sobczyk as its new clerk at its March 7 meeting, he was sworn into office at 9 a.m. the next day.

As legislature clerk, Sobczyk will oversee the first and second clerk in the handling of both incoming and outgoing documents. The clerks are also in charge of making sure the respective policies and resolutions are put before both the county and state legislatures prior to their approval.

Nominated by Niagara County Legislator Malcolm Needler, R-11th District, Sobczyk previously worked in the advertising and marketing communications field for companies throughout Western New York and has spent the last years focusing on free-lance-based marketing research.

Sobczyk said he now plans to use his experience to better the relationship between the legislative board and the Niagara County community.

“We want to promote the legislation throughout the local media,” he said in a phone interview. “We want to give the community the opportunity to see what the Legislature does and what’s to come.”

Going Beyond Mere Informing

Sobczyk said he hopes to stay in contact with all branches of the local media to help promote the Niagara County Legislature, going past just informing people of what happened at the latest meeting.

“We want to do more than simply just inform the community of what was on the meeting agenda,” he said. “If we can give them the opportunity to understand, we will show the community where we are headed.”

Sobczyk also looks forward to promoting different county programs throughout the area.

“We want to inform the people of some of the great programs this county has that they might not know about,” he said. “Give them a chance to see and experience what the Legislature is doing to better the community.”

As the Niagara County Legislature is finalizing its budget for the 2006-07 fiscal year, the public will take an increased interest in its decision-making process, Sobczyk explained. In light of the problems surrounding last year’s budget crisis in Erie County, a better relationship in the community could help Niagara County “to show the rest of Western New York it’s back on its feet,” Sobczyk said.