By JIMMY LAWTON

Several St. Lawrence County officials are in Albany today to pitch the legislative agenda recently established by the legislature.

The county’s call to the state focuses largely on the state funding of a massive list of mandates.

Among those presenting in Albany are St. Lawrence County Chairman Kevin Acres R- Madrid; Legislator Joseph Lightfoot, R-Oswegatchie; Legislator Larry Denesha R-DeKalb; St. Lawrence County Attorney Stephen Button and St. Lawrence County Administrator Ruth Doyle.

An agenda aims to make known “the issues and measure the effectiveness of elected senate and assembly representatives and other key legislators in the New York State Assembly and Senate of changes in matters of importance to St. Lawrence County which is required to meet the mandates and carry out the will of its constituents for effective and efficient delivery of services,” the resolution said.

The legislators are asking the state to:

• support the ability to collect sales tax on purchases made on the internet

• structure permanent sources of funding for implementation of “Raise the Age Legislation”

• fund for all increases associated with salary increases for district attorneys

• follow through on funding associated with the legislation regarding indigent defense

• continue efforts on the 2016 legislative items not yet resolved

•safety net funding share increased by thirty-one percent back to fifty-fifty share

• cost reduction associated with the operations of the courts

• and continue efforts to increase revenue to counties from DMV fees.

The resolution, if approved by the full board of legislators authorizes chairman Kevin Acres R-Madrid to select a group of representatives from the County to travel to Albany and meet with appropriate elected officials to deliver the 2017 Legislative Agenda and follow up on 2016 items.

According to the resolution, similar action last year proved successful. That agenda included getting the state to:

• assume the financial obligation for the provision of indigent defense services and related expenses; The 2017-2018 New York State Budget language that would expand the funding of indigent defense similar to that being provided to counties awarded in the recent Hurrell-Harring case which allocated funding for the criminal costs associated with indigent defense effective by 2023, considerable success on this effort;

• establish a commitment to Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) funding to allow for better local capital planning and investments; There was a commitment on both the State and Federal level to provide additional funds to counties, demonstrable success on this effort;

• fund the demolition and restoration of the former J &L Steel site in Star Lake as a State project to eliminate a severe and long-term blighted site from the Adirondack Park; There was an additional award in a round of funding which will provide a continuation of the project into the next phase.