LOCKPORT — The four women in the Niagara County Legislature, three of whom have joined the body this year, formed a Women’s Caucus last week.
Legislator Renae Kimble, D-Niagara Falls, an 18-year veteran of the Legislature, is the chairwoman.
“I’ve spent my entire life trying to eliminate racism and empower women,” said Kimble, the Legislature’s only African- American, who also has been nominated for an award at the YWCA of Niagara’s “Tribute to Women” dinner Sept. 20.
The newcomers to the Legislature in thecaucus— Cheree J. Copelin, R-Niagara Falls; Kari Ann Bullman, D-Niagara Falls; and Brittany I. Catchpole, D-Town of Niagara — saluted Kimble’s efforts, with Copelin calling her “the perfect leader.”
Kimble said, “The Women’s Caucus can be an instrument for positive change in Niagara County, and we certainly will be looking to have an impact over the next several months. Long-term, we want the caucus to serve as a vehicle to encourage more women to run for political office and become more vocal regarding the political process.”
It was a Buffalo News article about the declining number of women in elected offices that got Copelin thinking about a women’s caucus and sounding out her colleagues about it.
“Surprisingly, [a meeting between] a Democrat from the town [of Niagara] and a Republican from the city didn’t cause the world to end,” Copelin joked.
“This definitely isn’t like an anti-man caucus,” said Catchpole. She said they won’t try to impose a female viewpoint on each resolution.
In other matters at last week’s meeting, the Legislature passed a resolution urging the state to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Legislator John Syracuse, RNewfane, who sponsored the resolution, asserted that the cap-and-trade system of attempting to reduce air pollution amounts to a tax that’s unconstitutional, since New York joined the program through an executive order from former Gov. David A. Paterson, rather than a State Legislature vote.
The county’s main concern is that the costs of the program will force the AES Corp. power plant in Somerset, the county’s largest property taxpayer, out of business.
The lawmakers also passed a revised administrative code, the main impact of which will be to cut most department heads’ terms from four years to two, to match the length of County Legislature terms.
Every two years, starting in January, the county manager will have to submit a slate of department head nominees at the Legislature’s reorganizational meeting.
The Legislature set a public hearing for 6:30 p. m. Sept. 20 on a $4 million package of improvements to the facilities of the county Sewer District, including replacement of mains on Tonawanda Creek Road in Pendleton.
It awarded a $323,999 contract to Yarussi Construction Co. of Niagara Falls for replacement of sewer inlets at Lower River Road in Lewiston.
And Hoot Mechanical and Electrical of Lockport was hired for $33,300 to install a cooling system for the county’s computer server room in the Philo J. Brooks Building in Lockport.
Source:
