Published: November 20, 2009 02:04 am      

NIAGARA COUNTY: Andrews seeking treasurer’s post

Niagara County legislator Kyle Andrews wants to be the county’s next treasurer.

The Democrat from Wilson announced Thursday his candidacy for the county’s top fiscal officer.

The 29-year-old Andrews has served in the Legislature for four terms. He is a public finance and economic development attorney with the law firm Harris Beach and said he has the right educational background, leadership background and approach to government to be the best candidate for the treasurer’s job.

“The citizens of Niagara County are ready for a new generation of leadership at the treasurer’s office,” Andrews said in a news release. “My objective is to transform the treasurer’s office into a 21st century environment. To achieve this goal, we must be an open and transparent department. There are rules that govern how transparent public bodies should be. But that is a minimum standard.

“If you really believe in accountability and transparency as a public official, you go well beyond that. You use technology to make more information available. You open the doors of your office when people have questions. That’s the type of leader I intend to be and I already have the record to prove it.”

Andrews also stressed he would look to use technology as a tool to increase the openness of the office.

“The treasurer’s office needs to become an open resource to county residents,” he said. “All county financial transactions need to be posted online. Our citizens should be able to view the county checkbook online in the same way we view our personal accounts.”

Andrews points to two other countywide elected officials as his personal role models: Sheriff James Voutour and County Clerk Wayne Jagow.

“The position of county treasurer requires a bipartisan consensus-builder in the mold of Sheriff Voutour and Mr. Jagow. These two men are so highly regarded because they understand all areas of Niagara County and work well with everyone, regardless of political orientation. I respect them both immensely and only hope to serve in as distinguished a manner as they have.”

Andrews graduated summa cum laude from Niagara University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. There he received the Sertoma Award for outstanding academic achieving within his field. He earned his law degree from the University at Buffalo in 2005. Following law school, he attended the Judge Advocate General’s School and accepted a commission in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is currently a captain, serving in the 98th Division (initial entry training) in Rochester.

Andrews is on the board of directors of the Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara Foundation, president of the Wilson Historical Society, member of the Wilson Lions Club and member of Exley United Methodist Church. He is engaged to be married later this year.

Andrews also announced that he will be leaving Harris Beach at the end of the year to begin a private practice, while focusing on an aggressive door-to-door campaign for county treasurer.