Our Monroe County Connection

Dear Republican Surfer:

Welcome to Monroe County’s Republican home on the Web. I am excited to be a part of this site, because it offers an opportunity to showcase Monroe County’s winning Republican Team.

As County Executive, and a member of this team, I have made intergovernmental cooperation, economic revitalization and tax stability my top priorities.

I have the distinction of being the very first woman to lead Monroe County Government, since its establishment in 1821. Isn’t it great that as the first woman to do so — I am a Republican Woman! It sure makes me proud!

I’m pleased to serve with 16 committed Republican Legislators representing taxpayers from the Four Corners of Monroe County and everywhere in between. These men and women make-up the Majority of the Monroe County Legislature and are helping me achieve the goals that I have put forward for our community. 

Our new County Clerk, Cheryl Dinolfo, has taken the reigns of the office I was proud to lead before my election as County Executive.  I know that Cheryl will work hard to provide quality service that meets the needs of customers while keeping faith with the taxpayers of Monroe County.

Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn shares my commitment to safer streets and neighborhoods.  He and I work together to ensure that proper resources are available for crime prevention and enforcement.

Our Republican Town Supervisors and Council Members work together to make our collective communities efficient, safe and effective.

This team approach to government has served the people of our county very well. Whether it is through stable property taxes, economic development, job creation and retention or public safety — Monroe County’s Republicans are getting the job done.

The proven ability to meet the needs of our residents has also resulted in greater cooperation with the State of New York. I’m proud to be able to partner on projects that are important to our community with our Republican Team in Albany, including Governor Pataki and our local State Senators and Assembly Members.

I encourage you to use this website to learn more about Monroe County’s Republican Party and to get to better know some of the members of our winning Republican Team.

Sincerely,

Maggie Brooks
County Executive

Visit the Monroe County website.

Maggie Brooks,
Monroe County Executive

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, well known in the Rochester area from her many years as a television news anchor and radio reporter, has earned a reputation as a dedicated and respected elected official. 

On January 1, 2004, Maggie was sworn into office as the 5th County Executive of Monroe County, New York. She is the first woman to lead the County of Monroe since its establishment in 1821. Maggie was elected to this office in November 2003 with 65% of the vote — the largest margin of victory for a candidate for County Executive in Monroe County’s history. Calling her election win a “mandate for change,” Maggie has made intergovernmental cooperation, economic revitalization and tax stability the top priorities of her administration. 

Maggie’s first action as County Executive was to submit Legislative Referral #1 of 2004, which ensures that any company receiving County Government tax benefits will have to use local labor in their new construction or expansion. She has also convened an impressive group of local business professionals, economic development experts and community leaders to serve as her Economic Development Strategy Team. Maggie has charged her team to make recommendations that she can use to create a “one-stop shopping” economic development service for any company that wants to create jobs by locating or expanding in Monroe County.

On January 7, 2004, after just one week “on the job” as County Executive, Governor George Pataki recognized Maggie in his 2004 State of the State Address and pledged to work with her to make a new performing arts center in Downtown Rochester a reality. Maggie is a strong supporter of a new performing arts center and has ranked it as her number one community project. 

As County Executive, Maggie is the chief executive officer of Monroe County, a chartered county government with an annual budget of $972.1 million, nearly 4,800 employees and a population of 735,000. Maggie oversees a broad range of governmental operations which effect the safety, health, recreational opportunities and general welfare of the citizens of her community. 

Prior to taking office as County Executive, Maggie served her community as the 36th County Clerk of Monroe County. First appointed County Clerk in April 1997 by Governor George Pataki, she filled out the un-expired term of her predecessor. Maggie was elected to a full four-year term as County Clerk in November 1997 with an unprecedented 69% of the vote and re-elected in November 2001 by a landslide with 74% of the vote.

A pioneer in cutting edge technology, Maggie was the first County Clerk in the State of New York to provide instant on-line records access and document image retrieval over the Internet. She was also the first County Clerk in the State of New York to accept and record a fully electronic, digitally transmitted mortgage closing. A fiscal conservative, Maggie effectively managed the County Clerk’s annual budget — keeping expenditures under control. In fact, under her leadership, the County Clerk’s Office returned a surplus each year — totaling a record $5.9 million.

In 2001, following national election controversies from the previous year, Governor Pataki appointed Maggie to his Task Force on Election Modernization, a seven-member panel charged with making recommendations to improve the integrity and process of elections in the State of New York.  In July 2002, Governor Pataki once again turned to Maggie, appointing her to his newly created Task Force on Local Government Reform. The non-partisan task force will seek to advance innovative reforms and new ideas designed to help local governments become more efficient and cost-effective at the village, town, city and county levels.

On October 29, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) a package of reforms that will ensure meaningful access to the democratic process for all Americans. Each state is required to assemble a committee to develop a plan to implement the HAVA. In New York, Governor Pataki has named a Help America Vote Act Task Force and appointed Maggie as one of its 19 members.

In recognition of the many effective, cost-saving programs she implemented in the Monroe County Clerk’s Office and the budget surpluses that she generated for the taxpayers of Monroe County, Maggie was presented with the “2002 Roger J. Robach Conservative of the Year Award.”

Prior to her appointment as County Clerk, Maggie represented the voters of the 17th District in the Monroe County Legislature. Elected in 1995, Maggie was an important voice in the Legislature for her constituents and the residents of Monroe County.

In the private sector, Maggie was the Vice President of Programming for Companion Radio, overseeing the content and quality of programming on four satellite delivered radio stations targeted towards senior citizens. 

Before joining Companion Radio, Maggie earned the trust of the Greater Rochester community over the course of 18 years of broadcast experience — becoming one of the most recognizable and distinguished members of the local news media. Beginning in 1977, she was a reporter for WHAM-1180 AM, a 50,000 watt clear channel radio station. In 1980 she joined WHEC-TV 10, a network local affiliate, working initially as a reporter. In 1984, WHEC selected Maggie to anchor the morning news and her own half-hour noon program which included news and live interview segments. She served in this capacity for 10 years and built-up a large, dedicated audience.  While at WHEC, Maggie was also the co-host of the annual MDA Labor Day Telethon during the late 1980s and early 1990s — and was voted Woman of the Year by Muscular Dystrophy of Rochester in 1993.

Maggie resides in the Town of Webster with her husband Robert Wiesner and two daughters, Julia and Jensen. She is a graduate of Ithaca College.