A leading Republican from Niagara County has turned to a long-time Democrat as his preferred member for a local Underground Railroad commission.

State Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, has submitted the name of Niagara County Legislator Renae Kimble, D-Niagara Falls, to serve on a 13-member Underground Railroad Heritage Commission, the first of its kind in New York state.

Commission members will work with sub-committees to implement a master strategy to promote cultural heritage and oversee projects. The commission is slated to receive $350,000 in casino funds annually through 2010.

Kimbel received notice from state Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Centre, that Maziarz had nominated her to serve on the panel. Skelos, as Senate minority leader, was allowed to nominate one citizen to serve in the group. According to a press release from county Public Information Officer Christian Peck, Skelos and Maziarz asked Kimble to serve “based on her years of service in local government and deep knowledge of the Underground Railroad, the Niagara Movement and other key local aspects of black history.”

“I’m extremely pleased to have this opportunity to serve on the commission because we’re going to be making a lot of very important decisions regarding the revitalization of the North Main Street area,” Kimble said. “There will be a lot of monies funneled to the area to construct a statue of Harriet Tubman to memorialize her legacy of crossing over the Niagara Suspension Bridge to free 300 slaves, and also the rebuilding of the Customs House.”

Kimble noted she represented key areas affected by the commission’s plans in county government and planned to hold New York state accountable.

“This is a great opportunity for Niagara County to have a Niagara County legislator who also is a part of that particular district and represents that particular district on this commission and to be a watchdog for the taxpayers,” Kimble said. “We want to make sure our money is spent wisely and prudently.”

Kimble, who has delivered addresses to various audiences about Niagara County’s significant roles in black history, also said she plans to push for tough scrutiny of claims made about the abolitionist Tubman and her actions in the Niagara Falls area. Kimble said that controversy surrounding the degree to which Tubman was involved in leading slaves to freedom across the Canadian border needed to be laid to rest through detailed scholarly research.

“I want to make sure that we do the right thing and once and for all end the controversy surrounding Harriet Tubman — if she crossed the suspension bridge or not,” Kimble said.  “That’s an issue that we really need to research thoroughly, and I plan to do that so that we once and for all will have the truth.”

Kimble also praised Lewiston for recently unveiling a statue commemorating the village’s role in liberating slaves after years of development.

“Hopefully, we will be just as successful in terms of being able to build something that is going to be noteworthy for the residents of Niagara Falls and Niagara County,” she said.