Orleans legislator featured in national government magazine

File Photo – Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson speaks at a Veterans Day service on Nov. 11, 2013.

Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson is featured in a Q & A for the American City & County, a national magazine that has been the voice of state and local government since 1909.

Her interview was posted to the magazine’s web site on Wednesday. She talks about the Niagara Orleans Regional Alliance. She is co-chair of the two-county alliance with Niagara County. That group has fought a plan for regulating Lake Ontario and has pushed for expanding broadband Internet access in rural spots of the two counties.

Johnson said her most rewarding time as legislator is attending the Top 10 graduate dinner in Orleans County. The most challenging time has been the three times she has witnessed the return of a local soldier killed in either a training accident or in combat.

“All three times the streets have been lined with residents paying their respects,” she tells American City & County. “The volunteer fire departments draped the American flag using ladder trucks, high over the main intersection. These soldiers were proud to serve the country they loved. Even those who didn’t know these soldiers say their deaths are a reminder of what all American soldiers do and the sacrifices they make.”

She offers these tips to be an effective elected official: “Be a good listener, attend all meetings, and do your homework.”

To see the full interview, click here.