To the Editor:

Last week, the County Board of Legislators held our first hearing to develop the 2015 budget.

Mr. Morrill introduced a resolution that intended to reduce the increase in the tax levy to 2 percent, just as the Board has promised when it developed it’s five-year fiscal plan.

It also required that any additional savings that could be realized through the deliberation would be used to create an “infrastructure bank” that would fund repairs to county roads and bridges. Every Democratic member of the Board voted in favor. Every Republican voted against it.

Oddly, the St. Lawrence County Republican Committee has purchased radio ads in some markets. The voice from the ad says, “while the rest of the state is progressing, we remain stagnant. The question is, why?

St. Lawrence County has a ton of roads and bridges that need extensive work, you drive them every day, trying to out-maneuver the potholes.” The Republican committee is advertising the condition of our roads and the Republican members of the Legislature voted in a block to oppose the creation of an infrastructure bank to repair them? Unreal.

Through two hearings, this “infrastructure bank” already has $276,000 committed to it with the expectation of far more to come. While our county’s bridge ratings have been improving, the Democratic majority is committed to fixing more of our infrastructure now. Every Republican in the Chamber voted against this idea.

The ad also called into question the Board’s decision to assist Hermon with the repair of an historic bridge there. The county highway superintendent and his staff developed a unique design that will preserve the structure’s historic significance while substantially reducing costs.

This agreement is contingent upon Hermon receiving grant funds to cover material costs. County workers will assist Hermon DPW workers with the actual repair work through a shared services agreement.

These agreements are made between municipalities regularly. In fact, at some point during the past few years, the county has likely shared services with every one of our communities. I will continue to press for assistance to the communities of Norwood and Norfolk whenever possible just as my Democratic colleagues will do for their constituencies.

The main point to be made is that this agreement will cost the county nothing, as the services rendered by our staff will be traded for future service to be rendered by the staff from Hermon. Shared services agreements are efficient and save tax dollars. That’s why they are so commonplace. And yet the Republican minority voted against the agreement.

If you are still undecided going in to Election Day on how you would like to see the makeup of the County Legislature, if nothing else, please consider the hypocrisy of condemning our roads and bridges in a political ad after having voted against funding their repair on the floor.

That’s exactly what happened. Please help to end the hypocrisy and continue to move forward with proven leadership by voting on the Democratic or Working Families Party lines on Tuesday.

Jason Clark,

Legislator, District 12