As a kid growing up in the Fifth Ward on South Jackson Street, F. Robert “Bob” Bialkowski didn’t move far for the last 53 years of his life on Union Street, where he lives with his wife, Madeline and four-legged companion Hershey, their chocolate poodle.
Point being that he is “very familiar with the district and its needs,” Bialkowski says.
And, as current City Councilman-at-large, he therefore believes that he is the better candidate for the District 9 seat on the Genesee County Legislature. He is running against fellow council member Kathy Briggs of Ward Five in the June 24 Primary.
“In all the 13 years, I've only missed two meetings, and I've served on many city committees, such as the Audit Committee. I've served on hiring committees, so I've contributed in that way. I also do a lot of research on issues, and I like to get all the background and all the data,” he said during an interview with The Batavian. “And I'm a firm believer, and I think Batavia is a great place, but the work is never done. It's that simple. Two meetings in 13 years when I was out of town is a good record, I think, better than most council members.”
How do you think your time on council has equipped you to be a good legislator for city wards 4 and 5?
“To be perfectly honest, I've followed the county legislature for many years, and I'm very familiar with the district's urban and rural agriculture, and I'm also very familiar with the challenges, like the rural face versus a city,” he said. “I know several state representatives, and I communicate with them often, like George Borrello and Steve Hawley, and I think that would be a great asset. And at the county level, I know all the individual legislators. I've worked with many of them, and I've worked with the county manager, Matt Landers. I have a lot of respect for Matt.”
His bid for a county seat was one of opportunity, since Legislator Gary Maha has decided not to run for reelection, Bialkowski said, and his ongoing interest in county government. His background includes serving in the U.S. Army and National Guard for 30 years, retiring as a chief warrant officer 4, master aviator.
He has also served on committees for solid waste removal and neighborhood improvement, Zoning Board of Appeals, has been on the county’s Republican Committee for 40 years, and is on the West Wing Committee of the Holland Land Office Museum, and has been chairman of the annual Batavia Memorial Day Parade since 2010.
Bialkowski has been accused of asking too many questions during meetings, but he does that because “you, the taxpayers, deserve the answers,” he said. And it’s a trait not likely to go away, as he promises to continue to “work hard to represent you,” while studying the issues and not fearing intimidation to ask questions or vote no when it’s “in your best interest,” he said in his campaign brochure.
What will make you the more effective candidate to represent the two city districts as a legislator?
“Not to sound nasty, but to start with, it's a Republican Primary right now that we're faced with, and I received the majority of the votes from wards four and five for the seat, the majority of the endorsements from the two wards, from the ward members on the Republican Committee. I've always been a Republican, and I don't believe in changing parties. My opponent ran as a Republican, and after a few years, she became a Democrat, and then, when that wasn't fun anymore, she became a Republican again,” he said. “I respect people from whatever party they're in, but they have to stick to their guns and stick to what their party stands for. That's my belief, and regardless of their internal disagreements, they should have stayed loyal.”
Briggs had been a registered Democrat for 17 years before filing to switch to the Republican Party in 2018, claiming it was a matter of returning to her “roots” from having been a Republican in college.
What challenges do you see ahead for the county if elected?
“First, I'd like to say I'm really frugal when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars, and I act like all the expenditures are coming from my own pocket. And, as you know, Batavia has quite a few seniors living here right now. Here's the challenge: We're facing uncertainty regarding taxes, cutbacks, grants, Medicaid funding, health care," he said. "And in our county, we face some serious water and sewer issues. People don't think about it, they just think the water keeps coming and the sewer is available and it isn’t.
And this is something that I really find irritating: the electric grid is about to reach the limit, and we need to preserve our home rule. The state took away our home rule when it comes to energy. And to me, that is just totally wrong," he said. "And the other big issue I see, we have a great Sheriff's Department, great law enforcement, and it's become very challenging and difficult, and the state Legislature is taking away many of the tools our police department has, and we need to really work to restore them.”
He and Madeline just celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in January and have a son, Robert, who is a vice president in the finance world.
The Batavian had contacted Briggs, along with Bialkowski, Thursday, and Briggs again on Friday, for a brief Primary preview, and she did not respond.
