Photo by Howard Owens.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley has opened a new district office in Batavia, aiming to make state government more accessible for Genesee and Monroe county residents.
The office is located inside the Cornell Cooperative Extension building at 420 East Main St. in Batavia. Hawley said the move brings his staff closer to constituents who previously had to travel to Albion, the site of his official district office in Orleans County.
“We just decided that it was about time,” Hawley said. “I had talked to Jocelyn Sikorski, the coordinator and director here, about maybe having a space on the first floor for handicapped accessibility. She said, ‘We’ve got just the right space for you.’”
Hawley said his staff will be available at the Batavia office at least once a week, every Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m., with more hours added if needed.
“We need to be visible and accessible,” he said.
Hawley noted that his team has always offered outreach hours in Genesee County, previously operating out of Genesee Community College, and in all four Monroe County towns in his district. The new Batavia office, he said, is a practical step to better serve the community.
“It’ll also be a little closer for folks from Scottsville and Monroe County, up in Sweden too, rather than going over to Orleans County,” Hawley said.
He emphasized that the new location comes at no additional cost to taxpayers.
“No, none whatsoever,” Hawley said. “Spending taxpayer money to have an office -- one office is plenty to pay money for. But when they came forward and said, ‘We’ve got a spot for you,’ it just made sense.”
Hawley represents the 139th Assembly District, which covers parts of Genesee, Orleans, and Monroe counties.
Photo by Howard Owens.
