By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County’s spending plan cuts 10 positions, raises taxes by $77,422 and cuts the tax rate by about 9 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value.

The board approved the budget at the Monday legislature meeting following a public hearing.

The budget includes no layoffs. All jobs cut will be from positions that are currently or soon to be vacant. Departments hit hardest by cuts will be community services, social services and the district attorney’s office. Departments losing one position include highway, public health, information technology and office for the aging.

According to the proposal, the tax levy will climb to $47,678,366 from last year’s $47,600,944. The tax rate will drop from $8.48 to $8.39.

This is below the state mandated tax cap.

Total spending by the county will drop from $227.9 million to $227.1 million, while revenues will decrease from $183 million to $179 million.

The county is planning to keep spending on health insurance flat at $23.5 million, but will decrease retirement spending from $6.1 million to $5.8 million, while sales tax is expected to decrease from $55.1 million to 54 million.

Under the proposal a person with a $100,000 home, whose assessment did not increase from 2016 would pay $4.50 less in taxes this year.