Andrew Searles follows in his parents’ footsteps
William Wilson
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Andrew, 20, hopes to continue the family tradition of public service. He's circulating petitions to run for the Ward 1 council seat on the Republican ticket in November.
At 20, he's the youngest person in city history to seek elective office.
The city has a long history of sending people in their 20s to the council. In the 1980s Democrat Tammy Crawford ran successfully for Common Council when she was 22. Fellow Democrat Pat Piccioli was 24 when he was elected to the council.
Former county legislator James Snyder, a Republican, began his political career in 1962 when he was elected Ward 10 alderman at the age of 25.
Mr. Searles said it's a common misconception that young adults don't pay attention to politics and don't care about events in their hometowns.
"But they do," he said. "They read the paper and listen to their parents when they talk about the city."
He said he contacted Mayor David Carucci after reading in The Times Herald that the mayor was having difficulty finding someone to take former council member Glenn Van Dixon's seat on the council. Mr. Van Dixon stepped down before his term of office expired because family members received grant money from the city to start a business.
Mr. Searles didn't know the mayor had already agreed to appoint Howard Peters to fill the Ward 1 council seat. Mr. Searles said that's fine with him.
"I was actually thinking about running before Glenn Van Dixon left the council," Mr. Searles said. "I know I don't have all the answers but I'm willing to work with the mayor and the other Common Council members without fighting with them."
Mr. Searles lives at home on Front Street with his parents and works at Burger King in Olean as a shift supervisor. He is studying psychology at Jamestown Community College.
He said he talks about issues confronting the city and the county with his parents and listens to his customers at Burger King when they complain about the way things are going.
"There's a lot that needs to be done," Mr. Searles said. "People are worried about their taxes going up and rising water and sewer rates."
He said other issues people are worried about include dead trees the city needs to cut down and potholes that need to be repaired.
"A lot of the people that come into the restaurant are senior citizens or people with families," he said. "They're concerned about what's happening in the city."
He said the stress caused by rising taxes and water bills impacts kids, too.
"They hear their parents talk about taxes and rising costs and they're not happy because their parents aren't happy," he said. "It affects everyone in the house."
He said teens and young adults often feel powerless. He said they shouldn't. Government exists to serve them, too.
Mr. Searles said he hopes his age won't keep people from voting for him.
"I'm sure it will be a factor," he said. "But, obviously, age and experience isn't working that well."
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