“A lot of people in elected positions sometimes forget why they are there. They are there to serve the public,” said Montgomery County Clerk candidate Brittany Kolbe during a recent interview. “I think facilitating that outreach so people know what is going on is so important.”
Kolbe said she has many well-wishers for her campaign, and others who have served as role models for the position she is running for, such as Saratoga County Clerk Craig Hayner, who Kolbe described as a people-centered person.
“One of the things I respect about him is he is really out in the community. People know him and they know he is their county clerk,” she said.
Kolbe, who grew up as part of a military family with both parents serving in the U.S. Air Force, moved around a lot, but has lived in Amsterdam the longest.
Amsterdam is where she met and married her husband Stephen Kolbe, a Gloversville police officer, bought their first home and had their first child Mason, now six years of age.
Kolbe graduated from the University at Albany with a degree in communications and rhetoric concentrating on organizational communications. Afterwards she served an internship with New York State Senator George Amedore. Amedore picked Kolbe to serve as his constituent coordinator for Montgomery County running Amedore’s office from Fonda.
“I’ve been involved in the community for many years,” she said, citing her service on the board of directors for Montgomery County Allies in Prevention (MCAP), an anti-drug and alcohol coalition.
Kolbe said she has many ideas to bring to the position which have grown from communicating with county residents and which tie into her campaign slogan “New Vision. New Direction.”
Many of her ideas have to do with improving operations at the department of motor vehicles (DMV), such as:
- Expanding the hours of operation for the DMV
- Creating a fast lane at the DMV
- Allowing residents to schedule a DMV appointment
- Creating a mobile DMV office that travels directly to people in isolated rural areas
“We are in a digital age where everything is done online. That is actually hurting our DMV’s. People can now do their DMV business online. When you do that, the county loses the revenue, the revenue going directly to the state,” Kolbe said.
Kolbe insists doing business with the DMV should be an easy task for residents.
“I really think it is important to make it as convenient as possible for people. The revenue that comes in holds the line on our local taxes,” she said.
Kolbe will appear on the Republican, Conservative, Independence, Reform party lines on November’s ballot. She faces incumbent candidate Helen Bartone, who will appear on the Democratic, Woman’s Equality, and Working Families party lines.
Visit Kolbe’s Facebook page for more information.
