Choboy announces candidacy for Porter Town Council

Lewiston Porter Sentinel, September 22, 2007

William A. Choboy has announced his candidacy for the Town of Porter Council. He will appear on both the Democratic and Positive Change ballot lines this Nov. 6.

While he retains “good working relationships” with other officials from his previous term on the council, Choboy believes that Porter has drifted into one-party rule. He is founder and chairman of the new Porter Democratic Committee, which has fielded four candidates for the upcoming election. “I think people should have a choice. Balanced representation brings more open discussion and the consideration of diverse views,” he said.

If elected, he will focus on several key problems: high property taxes; job losses and the flight of young adults from the area; and the need to preserve Porter’s agricultural land. He noted, “While there are problems, there are opportunities, too. Many of our concerns are regional concerns and should be approached through collaboration with the county and area communities. We have many citizens who want to contribute, and I’ll work to create more citizen advisory boards to get them involved. We can achieve cost savings by consolidating services – and pass those savings on to the taxpayer. Porter is rich in history and we can do more to promote historical tourism here. There’s also the nationwide trend toward planned communities, which can bring both jobs and housing to this township.”

Choboy is a retired member of IBEW Local 237, with experience as a journeyman electrician, construction supervisor and business manager of the local. Since 1994, he has been building inspector for the Village of Youngstown, a part-time position. He served on the Porter Council from 2002 to 2006 and mentioned several accomplishments during his term: preparation and adoption of the Town of Porter Comprehensive Plan; the hiring of a grant writer to secure state and federal funds for town projects; town membership in the Lower Niagara River Chamber of Commerce; increased participation by residents in all aspects of town government; and the initiation of community events such as the Cabbage Festival.

In 2006, he was named Town of Porter Citizen of the Year for his service on the council and continued service to the community. At present, he is co-chair of the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee, which oversaw preparation of the Town’s Strategic Plan for Agriculture, adopted in 2006; member of CAC -- the Citizen’s Advisory Committee; member of LOOWRAB -- the Lake Ontario Ordnance Works Restoration Advisory Board and chair of its Membership Committee; and a member of the Porter Zoning and Land Use Committee.

Choboy is a veteran of four years service in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Joanne, are life-long residents of the Niagara Frontier and have lived in the Town of Porter for over 30 years. They have five children and several grandchildren.