By CRAIG FREILICH

The real contest to decide who will be the county’s next treasurer won’t be in November, but next week during the Republican primary.

For many months, Canton Town Supervisor David Button and St. Lawrence County Deputy Treasurer Kevin Felt have waged a high-profile campaign for the job being vacated by long-time treasurer Robert O. McNeil.

The Democrats have put no one up for the job, and even if they did, that name would not appear on the ballot in November.

Normally, there is low voter turnout for primaries, compared with November elections.

So Tuesday’s contest could come down to who is the better organized candidate, or who is generating more enthusiasm and can get voters out. It could depend on personal loyalties or friendships or slices of preferences for one man’s outlook over the other’s, or differences in qualifications.

Both Button and Felt bring substantial experience to the contest.

Under Treasurer Robert McNeil, Felt has been one of two Deputy County Treasurers for two years, providing him with direct experience with the position he hopes to fill. He has been responsible for closing the books for the county, providing financial analysis to the Board of Legislators, assisting the treasurer, and has been part of the county budget team responsible for helping departments control expenses.

Button has been Canton Town Supervisor for the last eight years, and before that, was mayor of Canton for two terms, and a town councilman, and deputy town supervisor. He has owned and operated his own businesses for over 25 years. He chairs Canton’s Waterfront Advisory Committee, and has served with the Brownfields Advisory Committee, Canton’s Economic Development Consortium, the state Government Finance Officer’s Association, and the state Association of Towns. During his time in office, Canton’s new wastewater system, the Partridge Run golf course, the Riverside Renaissance, and downtown business initiatives have been developed. He has helped consolidate the administrative functions of the town and village courts, and is working to consolidate state, county and village fuel and salt storage.

A Heuvelton native, Felt has degrees in business management from SUNY Plattsburgh and a master’s in business administration from Clarkson University. He has 11 years of accounting experience, as a senior accountant at New York City law firm and as controller for a software consulting firm in Rochester, before returning to the North Country as McNeil’s deputy.

Button has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a master of science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has taught at several universities including Clarkson.

We asked each man why he was running for treasurer.

Felt said, “I have a good education and good accounting background, which are crucial to the treasurer’s job and to be able to work with legislators and county departments, and I have experience as a manager, collecting taxes and fees, and overseeing the fiscal aspects of the county. I moved away from the North Country, and came back to take a good position with the county to use my skill and education here.”

Button said, “I’ve never seen St. Lawrence County as distressed as it is today. We’ve done some really creative things here in Canton to blunt the economic downturn, and I think some of the approaches we’ve taken at the local level might be helpful at the county level. My grandkids live here in St. Lawrence County. When your kids and grandkids live here, it’s impossible to walk away from our problems here.”

And we asked why each thought he could do a better job than the other candidate.

Button said, “I think Kevin is a fine man who brings some skills sets to the table that are helpful for the department. I think he is focused on the accounting aspects of the position, and that’s important. I bring 15 years of public finance experience and 31 years of business management experience to the job. I believe that gives me a broader perspective. This race isn’t about who counts beans fastest; it’s about what we do with the beans that we have. And with fewer resources and dollars we’re going to have to be as creative as we’ve ever been to continue to provide services to the people of the county.”

Felt said, “Given the last two years in the Treasurer’s Office, as Bob McNeil has basically been training me for the position of treasurer, I’ve learned just about everything the treasurer is responsible for. I’ve been getting ready. Bob knew he was retiring, and it made sense to train someone so when he was gone someone would be ready. I’ve been working with other departments and legislators, and they say they like working with me. My election would be a win for them and a win for me. Bob McNeil has been treasurer for 25 years, and I’ll be carrying on his tradition of staying and serving. I’ve got another good 20 or 25 years left in my career, and I don’t see my self going any higher. There is value added when someone serves that long, and my ambition is to serve in the same tradition as Bob, in it for the long haul.”

We asked if they believed the treasurer could lower taxes.

Felt said that the treasurer doesn’t have a vote in the Board of Legislators. “There are 15 legislators, and they have the responsibility to define what direction the government takes and policies on taxation. The treasurer can and should recommend areas for improvement. It’s a team effort. Everyone in government has a contribution to make. I will do everything in my power to improve. If I have an idea about how to lower taxes, believe me, they will hear about it. And I can encourage the team effort to look for ways to lower spending and lower taxes. It’s a fiscal position. The treasurer is the CFO for the county.

Button said he believes the Treasurer’s Office can influence the legislative process “just as the state comptroller influences state policy and the Congressional Budget Office does at the federal level. The state comptroller acts in an advisory capacity, proving analysis that is helpful in shaping the budget process and tax policy, and I think the county treasurer can provide the same kind of services.

We asked each man for their campaign finance status.

Felt said that, as of late last week, he had raised $2,668 in contributions, to add to the $10,000 of his own money that he has spent. None of the contributions came from outside St. Lawrence County, he said.

Button said his campaign finance filing with the Board of Elections late last week indicates he has spent $16,419.60. He has received $550 in donations, $250 of which has come from outside the county. “Our family has provided the remaining funds,” Button said.

“I’ve knocked on thousands of doors,” Button said, “and met thousands of people throughout St. Lawrence County who are concerned about our future. Those of us who are a little older are resourceful and know somehow we’ll get by. But there is growing concern for our children’s and grandchildren’s generations. I believe we can turn the corner. County government will play a role in helping us turn that corner, and I’d like to be a part of that process. “Jobs should be everyone’s focus, and there’s a role the Treasurer’s office can play”

Said Felt, “You want somebody in that position who wants to be here, in it for the long haul. The longer I stay in the position, the more it will benefit people in the county, by having that knowledge. People need to know they can trust that person to put in the time and will make sure the job is done right and done well. This position is more about professionalism than about politics.”

More information about the candidates is on their web sites, KevinFelt.com and Button4Treasurer.com.