Will Kiedrowski be Next NT Mayor?

Scott Kiedrowski

Who will be Rob Ortt's Replacement as Mayor of North Tonawanda?

The City Council of North Tonawanda will soon make the choice for Ortt’s successor.

Ortt, the current mayor of North Tonawanda, will be leaving his post in January when he assumes his role as New York State senator for the 62nd District which includes all of Niagara and Orleans counties and a small part of Monroe County.

Sources say City Clerk/Treasurer Scott P. Kiedrowski, 45, is on the short list of possible mayoral candidates.

"I am taking a hard look at it," Kiedrowski, who is also the chairman of the Niagara County Republican Party, told the Reporter.

Kiedrowski earlier followed in Ortt's footsteps when he was appointed clerk/treasurer when Ortt vacated that position to become mayor in 2010.

He then was elected twice as clerk/treasurer. Prior to that Kiedrowski was elected to the council in 1997 at the age of 28. He chose to run for mayor in 1999 and lost in the primary to Mary Kabaskalian who won the general election and served as mayor from 2000-2001.

Kiedrowski then left the public sector, working for Cramer Industrial Supplies as a regional sales representative.

Returning to public service, he next became Niagara County Republican Election Commissioner.

The city council meets Wednesday (Nov. 12) and a decision may be forthcoming as to who they select to become the city’s 29th mayor since 1897 when the position was established and filled by Albert E. McKeen.

While Kiedrowski has not yet publicly said he is willing to accept the position if it is offered by the council, he admitted, "I've been thinking about it rather heavily the last couple of days."