BATH - Steuben County Clerk of the Legislature Brenda Mori’s favorite part of the day is the panoramic view she sees across Keuka Lake as she drives to work from her home in Pulteney. "I love it down here," she said. "I’m thankful every day to live here." Others are thankful for her 25 years with the county. "Brenda is a critical asset to Steuben County," county Manager Jack Wheeler said. "She provides a tremendous amount of guidance and support to the Legislature and my office. We’d be nowhere near as effective without her." Yet the Genesee County native had no knowledge of Steuben until she won a scholarship to Alfred State College. Working toward an executive secretary degree, she was able to parlay the degree and a strong interest in accounting into a job at a Rochester employment agency. She moved to Steuben to raise a family and turned down a job offer at Morris Knudsen in Hornell to begin work in 1993 as a senior stenographer in county administration with then-Legislature Clerk Christine Kane. Appointed Deputy Clerk of the Legislature in 1997, Mori succeeded Kane in 2010, and was elected by her peers as president of NYS Association of Clerks of County Legislative Boards in 2016. As Clerk of the Legislature, and assisted by county Deputy Clerk of the Legislature Amanda Chapman, Mori manages the Office of the County Chairman of the Legislature and oversees the basic operations and procedures of the county legislature. The work includes ensuring committee agendas, minutes and legislative resolutions meet strict state regulations, complex laws and exacting deadlines. "Brenda is a very dedicated clerk who takes her job very seriously," said county Legislature Chairman Joe Hauryski, R-Campbell. "She has been a big help to me in carrying out my responsibilities as chairman. Mori also serves as the County Records Access Officer and assists residents locate records related to most county governmental and civil functions. She carefully reviews Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, also under strict regulations designed to inform citizens without violating others’ rights. During the past 25 years, acting on FOIL requests has jumped from roughly five per month to as many as 10 per week she said. Responding to each FOIL requests can require extensive research and awareness of state law, Mori said. "It’s important to me to get it done right," she said. "It can be complicated. I want people to know what they have a right to know but I also need to protect the interests of the county."
