North Country Assemblyman Mark Walczyk, R-Watertown says his goal since being elected to represent St. Lawrence County will always be to advocate for and support initiatives to better position the North Country to thrive and grow.

“While there were parts of the Executive’s budget proposal I was pleased to see, I have some serious concerns with a number of items in what’s being referred to as the most ‘progressive agenda’ that has been proposed,” said Assemblyman Walczyk in a prepared statement.

Walczyk's 116th Assembly District includes Canton, Potsdam and St. Lawrence County towns along the river.

He says the budget should be strictly a fiscal plan for the state, not a vehicle for the executive to push through policy that should be debated by the legislature. “That's how representative democracy fairs best,” he said.

“Additionally, I am troubled by the price tag that will be associated with some of the proposals included in the governor’s budget. In order to implement some of these policy proposals, it’s clear that massive tax hikes will be needed to cover the costs or the state will be driven into deep debt. It’s my firm belief that North Country residents simply cannot afford any new taxes, and we can't balance the budget on the backs of our children,” Walczyk said.

“I am pleased to see that the Governor’s proposal to finally make the property tax cap permanent. This is a step in the right direction because it shows commitment to keeping property taxes down. If we want to ensure Northern New York remains a great place to raise a family and open a business, we need to reduce the bloated budgets of years past, cap state spending and eliminate unfunded mandates," he said.

"In addition, I'm optimistic the Executive's plan for education reform may help poor, rural, schools in NNY. Likewise, I'll be fighting to prioritize our region's transportation and infrastructure projects and part of the large investment." Walczyk said. “In the coming weeks, I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and working alongside my colleagues in the Assembly to craft a spending plan for our state that will make New York–and especially the ‘Front Yard of America’–a great place to live, work and raise a family for generations to come.”