By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County legislators approved a New York Power Authority proposal Monday that would end power subsidies for farms and businesses in the tri-county area.

The plan being pushed by NYPA will repurpose $10 million from the Temporary North Country Power Discount Program to support a marketing effort ‘to bring new preservation power customers to the region.”

St. Lawrence County was the fifth and final signatory to approve the plan, which the host communities have now approved 5-3.

This amendment will end power discounts provided to farms and businesses in St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Franklin counties.

According to the resolution, the plan would bring “new respectable jobs” and phase out and eliminate the TNCPDP.

Once the program is phased out NYPA says it will use its resources to identify, attract and facilitate the creation or expansion of business consistent with the St. Lawrence County Economic Development Study that can be users of preservation power.

This plan amends 10 Year Review Agreement of the St. Lawrence FDR Relicensing Settlement.

County officials approved the plan in an 8-4 vote with legislators Tony Arquiette, D-Helena, and Kevin Acres, R-Madrid abstaining due to potential conflicts of interest. Legislator Travis Dann R-Gouverneur was not present.

Voting against the measure were Don Hooper, R-Ogdensburg, Dave Forsythe, R-Lisbon, Joe Timmerman, R-Potsdam, and Chad Colbert, R-Potsdam.

Forsythe, who represents Lisbon, said his district was largely made up of farmers, some of whom were probably benefiting from the discount power program that will be eliminated under the amendment. He said while the discount may not be a huge boon to the economy, it is “tangible” and he would not vote to end it to hire a marketing company.

Timmerman was also strongly opposed to the plan, which he said would likely send the money to a downstate marking firm.

Others however, offered support of the resolution. Chairman John Burke said this plan would ensure that the remaining $10 million would be spent for the benefit of St. Lawrence County. He said the discount power plan allows Jefferson and Franklin Counties a piece of the pie.

Burke said that while likes his neighboring counties, he’d rather see the $10 million spent on St. Lawrence County’s future.

According to the resolution the plan would be used to attract companies that could benefit from the power and with a focus on implementing a $10 million economic development study that was paid for by NYPA as part of the relicensing review.