St. Lawrence County may soon see a hike in sales tax after the Senate passed a Home-Rule Bill.

Sen. Joseph A. Griffo and Sen. Patricia Ritchie said the senate passed legislation to allow the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators to raise its sales tax by 1 percent.

The bill allows St. Lawrence County government to raise its local sales tax from 3 to 4 percent.

”I respect the home-rule wishes of the County leaders who have advocated in their desire to increase the sales tax,” Griffo said. “As a former County Executive, I’m very familiar with the challenges that municipalities face when confronted with rising, mandated costs and flat revenue projections. Every available option should be discussed, reviewed with the opportunity for a public discussion, before a tax increase is considered.”

Sen. Ritchie offered similar words regarding the measure.

“I respect home rule because I believe that the best government is the Government that is closest to its people. But I do not believe the role of State Senator is to be a rubber stamp for local officials, especially when it comes to the issue of taxes,” she said.

 Support for the legislation from both senators came after St. Lawrence County Legislators put together a five-year plan that would reduce property taxes and bring stability to the budget.

The bill was already approved by the Assembly and is awaiting approval from the governor.