Senate Resolution No. 1478
BY: Senator O'MARA
HONORING Martha Sauerbrey upon the occasion of her
retirement after 20 years of distinguished service
to the Tioga County Legislature
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body seeks to acknowledge those
individuals whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to
enhance the stature of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Martha Sauerbrey upon the occasion of her retirement after 20 years of
distinguished service to the Tioga County Legislature; and
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Nichols, New York, Martha Sauerbrey has
been a lifelong resident of Tioga County, and she graduated from Tioga
Central High School and later earned her degree in business economics
from SUNY Empire; and
WHEREAS, Martha Sauerbrey began her political career by working with
the late New York State Senator Tom Libous, who was the Tioga County
representative; and
WHEREAS, While working for Senator Tom Libous, Martha Sauerbrey
deeply immersed herself in what was important to Tioga County, and she
often attended events on behalf of Senator Tom Libous, recognized
accomplished constituents within the district, and acted as the
Senator's eyes and ears; and
WHEREAS, After leaving Senator Tom Libous' office, Martha Sauerbrey
began working diligently at the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, where
she led and continued to support the citizens and businesses of Tioga
County for 15 years; and
WHEREAS, Martha Sauerbrey's call to service grew stronger, leading
her to be elected to represent Tioga County's 2nd district, which
included the Village of Owego, an office she held for 20 years; and
WHEREAS, While serving as a county legislator, Martha Sauerbrey was
trusted to hold the position of chairwoman for 12 years, which required
her to administer the day-to-day operations of the county; and
WHEREAS, During her service, Martha Sauerbrey proudly kept taxes
low, supported veteran services and leadership development, created a
county administrator role to oversee day-to-day operations, began
developing a new radio system for first responders, developed a
succession plan, and ensured Tioga County continued to develop, thrive,
and succeed; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her official title, Martha Sauerbrey also
co-founded Tioga Women Lead in 2015 and the Institute for Advancement,
chaired a Shared Services Program, redeveloped the Anti-Drug Coalition,
participated in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and served on
numerous boards and councils, including the IDA Board and the New York
State Association of Counties Board; and
WHEREAS, Despite hardships and tragedies such as the historic floods
in 2006 and 2011, which flooded Owego's downtown business district, and
the coronavirus pandemic, Martha Sauerbrey was fueled by the unity in
her community and remained on the frontlines as Tioga County built back
and recovered; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of her exemplary service, Martha Sauerbrey
was named one of the region's "Movers and Shakers" in 2017 by the
Binghamton Press, a title that reflected her strong commitment to
progress; and
WHEREAS, For the past 20 years, Martha Sauerbrey rendered faithful,
conscientious and valuable service to the Tioga County Legislature,
earning the admiration, esteem and affection of her colleagues and
constituents; and
WHEREAS, In her capacity as county legislator and chairwoman, Martha
Sauerbrey served with loyalty, honor, and distinction, and was governed
by a keen sense of duty and always showed a unique grasp of human
problems in her official acts; and
WHEREAS, In her retirement, Martha Sauerbrey plans to travel more
with her beloved husband, Lew, and spend time with her family and
grandchildren; despite leaving office, Martha Sauerbrey will still
remain in the county she has always called home, and she intends to
always remain involved and engaged with her community; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Martha Sauerbrey upon the occasion of her retirement after 20
years of distinguished service to the Tioga County Legislature; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Martha Sauerbrey.
