Republicans take control of St. Lawrence County Legislature

Republicans took control of the St. Lawrence County Legislature on Jan. 2, 2015, becoming the majority for the first time in eight years. The legislature elected Joe Lightfoot, a longtime Republican member, as chair.

Lightfoot had served six years on the legislature while in the minority. He is a retired New York State Police investigator from Ogdensburg. He identified county spending, road and bridge repairs, and the Mohawk land claim settlement as major issues for the new majority.

The State Comptroller’s Office had found the county under significant fiscal stress for two years. The county also had adopted a five-year budget plan and was borrowing about $10 million annually to maintain cash flow, according to the available report.

The legislature heard public testimony during the meeting and voted against a resolution concerning changes to the New York Power Authority’s relicensing agreement for its hydropower plant on the St. Lawrence River.

The Mohawk land claim involves more than 4,800 acres in St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. A settlement announced in 2014 by the county, the Mohawks and Gov. Andrew Cuomo remained incomplete because Franklin County had not signed on. Legislators also had been divided over how to distribute the $4 million St. Lawrence County would receive each year under the proposed settlement.

The new majority also faced decisions about economic development spending, aging county infrastructure and the allocation of settlement funds. The Bassmasters tournament was scheduled to return to Waddington, after the 2013 event drew thousands of fans. The event’s economic value and county funding had been subjects of disagreement among legislators.