By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA --  The Board of Trustees voted to support the New York Power Authority ceasing a program that gives power discounts to farms, instead using the cash for business marketing.

The resolution passed 3-1-1, with Mayor Tim Currier and trustees Herb Deshaies and Matt Lebire voting yes and Trustee Francis Carvel voting no. Trustee Tim Ahlfeld, a NYPA employee, abstained.

The program, which is part of the 10-year review agreement for the Moses-Saunders Power Project license, gives electricity discounts to 858 farms in St. Lawrence County, according to Currier.

“These reductions in the electric bills, is it something the owners of the farms have been previously promised and they’re counting on?” Trustee Matt Lebire asked.

“It will impact those people receiving that,” Currier said.

The current farm program expires in 2017. Instead of renewing it, NYPA wants to take $2 million per year for five years and use it for for marketing “to attract companies to come to the region and give them power at a discounted rate,” according to Currier.

Carvel, who voted no, questioned if the electricity would actually stay in the North Country.

“What’s the guarantee this power’s going to stay in the North Country?” he said. “The power dam’s 10 miles away and we end up with the short end of the stick. They took all the land, they don’t pay any taxes, we should benefit from this.”

Currier noted that the Town Council passed a similar resolution last week.