Michael P. Kearns, best known as Mickey, has served the greater Buffalo area in elected office for more than a decade, representing constituents in the Buffalo Common Council, the New York State Assembly and currently as your Erie County Clerk. After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Canisius College, Mickey entered public service as a sanitation worker for the City of Buffalo. He credits this period of his life for teaching him the value of hard work, honesty and dedication to one's family, friends, neighbors and community.
Mickey went on to work in the private sector, eventually becoming the Vice President of the family-owned Kearns & Associates. While there, he guided not-for-profits, parishes, educational institutions, and healthcare providers through the fundraising process and saw first-hand the struggles that small business owners face and the importance of not-for-profits in the communities they serve.
In 2005, Mickey was elected as the South District Council Member in the City of Buffalo. As a City of Buffalo Common Council Member, Mickey developed a reputation for tackling difficult issues head on, and provided an independent voice for constituents on all ends of the political spectrum.
During his nearly seven years serving on the Common Council, Mickey undertook a variety of initiatives helping taxpayers, encouraging health and wellness development in the city, and restoring and preserving historical landmarks. Throughout his tenure, Mickey successfully fought to remove hundreds of residents from paying federal flood insurance, saving the homeowners thousands of dollars. Mickey was an avid voice of support on the council for ‘complete streets’- improving the walkability of the city.
In March of 2012, Mickey was elected in a special election by the voters of South Buffalo, Lackawanna, West Seneca and Orchard Park to represent the 142nd district (then 145th district) in the New York State Assembly. As Assemblyman, Mickey amassed an impressive record of legislative accomplishments as both a sponsor and co-sponsor of various bills.
In Albany, Mickey was a staunch proponent of policies to improve the quality of neighborhoods throughout the state. Mickey made the crippling issue of vacant and abandoned properties a top priority. After years of persistent efforts through the zombie property 'Shame Campaign', the NYS Legislature passed the Foreclosure Relief Act.
Serving as Erie County Clerk since 2017, Mickey strives to make the services at the Clerk's office more accessible to the people of Erie County. Mickey has made it a priority to expand the service hours of the Erie County Auto Bureaus, adding additional Saturday hours. Mickey has also focused on expanding outreach events for services such as passport applications, Thank-A-Vet Discount cards and pistol permit recertification.