PERRYSBURG — Lori Dankert is running in the Perrysburg town justice election.

She said, “Born and raised in western New York, I have been a resident of Perrysburg for over 22 years. I am running for my third term as town justice for the Perrysburg Town Court. I have 26 years of government service to offer you. This includes employment with the NYS Department of Corrections, village of Perrysburg, and the town of Perrysburg.

“I was elected to the town justice position in 2009. Since May of 2011, I have been the only acting justice in the town due to an abolishment of the second justice seat within the town. I was the court clerk for the Perrysburg Town Court for 8 years prior to my current position as town justice.

“My service to the town and village of Perrysburg has been extensive. I was the village clerk for Perrysburg for 3 years, deputy clerk for the town of Perrysburg for 9 years, court  clerk for 8 years, and town justice for 8 years. I was also a director for the New York State Association of Magistrates Court Clerks/NYSAMCC. During that time as director for the NYSAMCC, I was a class instructor for the New York State Office of Court Administration out of Albany. This entailed a lot of traveling around the State on my own time, training  court clerks and judges at conferences and meetings. I am also a current member of the New York State Magistrates Association. I was elected for the position of secretary/treasurer for the Cattaraugus County Magistrates Association since 2013. As secretary/treasurer for the CCMA, I work closely with the president in scheduling training for town and village judges in Cattaraugus County. I also keep all of our members up-to-date with new laws and legislation that is necessary for performing our jobs. I have received numerous certificates of completion for attending mandatory and non-mandatory training sessions.

“I was also a proud member of the Gowanda Central School Partners in Drug and Alcohol Prevention Planning Team. I was asked by Super-intendent Rinaldi to join this team to address the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol in our schools and community. I also completed Youth Protection Training for the Boy Scouts in 2014, and was a Merit Badge Counselor. In May 2015, I volunteered to work with the Gowanda Central School District in staging a mock DWI crash before prom season. During the event, I played the role of the town justice who arraigned the “defendant” responsible for the crash. It was a powerful reminder to everyone involved the consequences of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. I am also a member of the Perrysburg Volunteer Fire Department’s Ladies Aux-iliary, and a member of the Perrysburg Conservation Club.

“I am pleased to tell you that over the last 8 years as town justice, the court has seen many positive changes. I applied for grant money through the NYS Justice Court Assistance Program , and was awarded a total of $36,552 over the last eight years. We have made many needed improvements to the court’s facility security, public protection, and the court’s overall professional appearance through these grants. I  submitted the 2016-2017 JCAP grant in the amount of $21,750. The court is now accepting online payments for  court fines. Having this system does not cost the court or town any money, and tremendously decreased the “unpaid” fines and increase productivity for the Court.

“I have learned a great deal over the last eight years from experience on the bench, not just from reading law books. The most important part of being a Judge is being fair and impartial to the defendants that appear before you. There has been a tremendous amount of legislative changes to the laws over the last eight years. There have also been many new procedures for the court implemented by the Office of Court Administration to uphold the integrity of the judicial system. There is always something new to learn in this position, and I take my job and training seriously. I feel that my proven record of being the only acting town justice for the last 5 years validates that I can handle the caseload and the demanding time it takes to be the only town justice. I know how to run my courtroom from all angles. What matters most to me is that my community believed in me 8 years ago and elected me to hold this very important office. I was elected to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary, and I believe that I have achieved that goal 100 percent.

“During my term in office, I have presided over more than 4,119 cases. This includes Vehicle and Traffic Law, Penal Law, Agriculture and Market Law, Small Claim/Civil Hearings, Town Law, and Environmental Law cases. I have kept my promise to keep the taxpayers aware of the court’s monies collected in fines and surcharges every month. My report is filed and reported at the town board meetings monthly, and they are also published in the paper. May I add that the court is now “self-funding.” The court’s gross revenue from 2012 through September 2016 is over $86,268. There is now a remarkable police presence in the town, and the caseload has since doubled from prior years.

“As your town justice, I will continue to give the voters and the taxpayers of Perrysburg everything I have to give for their hard-earned taxpayer dollar. I am very ambitious and work many hours a week to keep the court top notch. I feel that this community needs someone dedicated, professional and knowledgeable to fill this position. I have 16 years experience in this courtroom, first as court clerk then judge. I have shown my fellow constituents that I am more than capable of being the only town justice, which takes commitment, dedication, and most importantly … knowledge of the law.

“I have resided on North Road in the town of Perrysburg for over 22 years. Married to my husband Dan for over 22 years, we have two daughters Ashley and Jessi, who were born and raised in our wonderful community. Both of our children attended Gowanda Central Schools. We were very active in our children’s activities in school, after school and at home. We take pride in our children, our family, and our Town. We are very proud to call Perrysburg “Home”…

“I am running unopposed on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines. Make your vote count on Election Day, Tuesday Nov. 8.  It has been an honor and privilege for me to serve this community as Town Justice. Thank you for your continuous support.”