By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON --- St. Lawrence County legislators have hired Dashnaw's Town Budget Services to oversee the Highway Department at a cost of $10,000 per month following the resignation of Toby Bogart.

Former St. Lawrence County Highway Superintendent William Dashnaw, who served in the position for 12 years, owns the company, which provides budget-consulting services to many municipalities throughout St. Lawrence County.

St. Lawrence County Administrator Karen St. Hilaire said she approached Dashnaw because the winter is quickly approaching and the highway department needs someone who knows the ropes.

"We need someone who can maintain operations as we are coming into the winter months," she said. "He is overseeing, managing, directing and handling all the things that we need to do to move forward."

Hilaire said Dashnaw's firm will be consulting the department and helping to manage operations until a replacement for Bogart can be found.

She said because it's being handled as a professional contract for short-term services it did not need to be advertised.

"Mr. Dashnaw has 30 years of experience and 12 years in that position. Frankly, he was the first person we thought of," she said.

St. Hilaire acknowledged that $10,000 per month is a large sum of money, but added that Dashnaw was making more than $100,000 per year when he retired and is now running his own business.

Bogart, whose resignation is effective Nov. 8, made a salary of about $85,000.

"Everyone, including Bill, wants this to be done as soon as possible. We are hoping to have this wrapped up in the next few months," she said.

St. Hilaire said another reason the county has contracted with Dashnaw's firm, was to buy time while it considered consolidating the highway superintendent position with heads of buildings and grounds and solid waste departments.

"We can't hire someone for the position if we don't know what that position is going to be," she said.

St. Hilaire said Dashnaw would be part of the consolidation discussions.

"We will first of all decide if we are going to do a consolidation and then we can look at hiring someone to fill the position or positions," she said.

Bogart did not respond to requests for comment.