Frentzel seeks re-election

Patricia “Pattie” Frentzel has announced her candidacy for re-election for the office of Town Clerk.

Frentzel has served Grand Island as the full-time working town clerk since January 2004. During her tenure many changes and improvements have been made to the services provided to the residents of Grand Island.

Frentzel is highly regarded for providing excellent customer service to residents. She and her staff are fully cross-trained in all aspects of daily operations and procedures. She has turned the Town Board meeting preparation process into an almost completely paperless system. She and town grant writers have obtained over $220,000 in grant money during her tenure. Many of these funds were used to ensure transparency and efficiency of the record-keeping segment of the clerk’s office, which remains a high priority to Frentzel.

Frentzel’s office is one of the few town clerk offices in Erie County authorized as a “passport acceptance agency” by the United State Department of State. Since 2006, Frentzel’s office has processed over 5,600 applications and 5,500 sets of photographs for U.S. passports, generating revenues of over $200,000 for the town. In 2014, to better assist residents, Frentzel sought and was approved to be an E-ZPass retailer and has issued over 1,400 Island commuter tags to residents, and continues to work closely with New York state to provide minor dispute resolution. She has improved the town’s website, giving residents and employees 24-hour accessibility and transparency to the clerk’s office. Frentzel added “e-gov” forms for requests for information and copies of public documents and provided highly sought-after online tax payments and receipts.

In addition to serving as clerk to the Town Board, The clerk’s office oversees the dog-licensing program and serves as the records management officer for the town. Information regarding town services, maps, voting and simple general questions are available through her office. She and her deputies collect fees from water/sewer rents, building permits, hunting and fishing licenses and town/county and school taxes. Also, the town clerk serves as registrar of vital statistics and records all the birth, death and marriages on Grand Island.

Frentzel is professionally linked in with the community. Frentzel has conducted voter registration for graduating seniors at Grand Island High School, and has been invited as a guest lecturer on town government at Grand Island High School. She is a New York state registered municipal clerk and has held executive offices in the Erie County Town Clerk’s Association – past treasurer; Erie County Tax Receivers and Collectors, past president, past vice president, and the New York State Tax Receivers and Collectors Association, board member. Frentzel also volunteers at St. Stephen R.C. Church for various functions throughout the year and is a trustee for the Grand Island VFW Auxiliary.

Frentzel has been honored with the Woman of Distinction recognition from the Erie County Federation of Republican Women last year as well as a recipient of the Yellow Rose Award from Zonta Club for leadership and service to the community.

She looks forward to serving another term as town clerk.

Submitted by the Frentzel campaign.