State 48th District Senate candidate Amy Tressider is backing St. Lawrence County’s attempt to get a sale tax rate increase through the state Legislature, a measure that incumbent Sen. Patty Ritchie would not introduce in the Senate.

Tressider, a Democrat from Oswego, said “Local government officials are elected to serve the people. They are aware of the needs and wishes of their constituents and they should be allowed to govern for those they represent.

“To deny that right is to deny democracy,” she said.

Tresidder said she opposes what she calls Ritchie’s refusal to carry legislation for St. Lawrence County seeking authority to explore a one-cent per dollar sales tax increase to prevent a large property tax increase in the county.

The current county sales tax rate is three percent. The county has been considering a hike to four percent.

A sales tax increase would not come without a public hearing and county officials would take into consideration all opinions before making a decision. “Mrs. Ritchie is quoted as saying she is an advocate of public referendums and letting the people decide, yet her actions are completely contradictory,” Tresidder said.

The 48th District seat, now held by Ritchie, a Republican from Heuvelton, includes the St. Lawrence County towns of Louisville, Waddington, Madrid, Lisbon, Canton, Oswegatchie, DePeyster, DeKalb, Hermon, Edwards, Fowler, Gouverneur, Macomb, Morristown, Hammond, Rossie, the city of Ogdensburg, and Jefferson and Oswego counties.

Amy Tresidder was born and raised in St. Lawrence County. The daughter of Stan and Shirley Morrill, she grew up as one of six children on a dairy farm in Hermon. She graduated from Hermon-DeKalb Central School and SUNY Canton. In 1979, she and her husband moved from Canton to Oswego. She is now in her second term as an Oswego County legislator.