North Country This Week

OSWEGATCHIE -- St. Lawrence County District 3 legislator Joseph Lightfoot R-Oswegatchie wants to continue improving the county’s finances if he is reelected to the board.

Conservative Michael Hammond of Rensselaer Falls, who has also received the Democratic endorsement, is challenging Lightfoot.

District 3 includes portions of the Town of Morristown, Town of Oswegatchie and Town of Hammond. It includes the villages of Morristown, Heuvelton and Rensselaer Falls.

Lightfoot has served 10 years on the board and as St. Lawrence County board chairman for a time. He is proud of the county’s current situation and says he wants to build on the recent progress made under the Republican leadership.

“The members of this board have taken a severely fiscally distressed county, as designated by NY State, and returned it to a state of solvency in a period of less than four years. There is much left to do to further build our resources in such a manner as to ensure that the efforts we have made and built upon are continued and improved upon. I have been a legislator for the past ten years. I have faithfully attended, and actively participated in almost every meeting held in those ten years. I have developed and maintained a working relationship with county administration and department heads,” he said.

Lightfoot says he makes himself available to his constituents and provides them with a voice on the board.

“I understand the issues and my record speaks of someone who is unafraid to make difficult decisions and publicly defend them,” he said.

Lightfoot, a retired state police investigator, says the opioid crisis and the addiction suffered by many county residents is probably the biggest issue facing the county.

“It affects so much of what the county provides in terms of community services, public health, law enforcement, the courts, indigent defense and social services. It is a huge drain on available socio-economic resources and a major cause of the breakdown of social order,” he said.

Lightfoot says the county has made many tough cuts in recent years and the highway department is no exception. But with finances improving, he said it’s time to focus on bridge and road maintenance.

“The county has the responsibility for the maintenance and repair of every town and county bridge that exceed 25 feet in length. Repairs and maintenance needs of County roads and culverts have been pushed down the road so to speak. These are necessities that are long overdue and will need to be addressed and as the county’s financial stability and outlook continue to improve, funds will need to be appropriated to meet the needs,” he said.

However, an investment in the county’s highways doesn’t mean it’s time to stop scrutinizing the budget. He said he intends to keep a close watch on spending if reelected.

“As far as cuts, I firmly believe that as legislators we have the obligation to look closely at every service the county provides, in an on-going basis, and assess whether or not it is doing what it was designed to do.”

Lightfoot says his experience separates him from his opponent.

“I have the knowledge and experience of serving on the SLC Board of Legislators for the past ten years, prior to that, I served on the Ogdensburg Catholic central school board and the Ogdensburg city school district board of education. I served 27 years with the NY State Police, the last 14 in a supervisory capacity, I have established and run two businesses since my retirement from the State Police, I am a former minor hockey coach and board member. I have a lifetime of successes and failures to learn and draw from and adapt to current day-to-day issues,” he said.

If elected, Lightfoot says his opponents can expect the same representation at the county board they receive now, which includes working closely with leaders from the towns he represents and making an effort to be available to the public.

“I will continue to do exactly what I do now. I attend all of the town and village board meetings of the towns and villages that I represent, that do not conflict with county meetings. I provide them with a detailed view of what county government is doing that could or will affect them. I receive their feedback and use it as a basis for determining how I will address the issues that we deal with at the county level,” he said.