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St. Lawrence County Republicans vote to keep land claim funds, overturn Democrat's MOU; Massena, Brasher lose out

Posted 3/3/15

By JIMMY LAWTON CANTON -- St. Lawrence County Legislators voted 9-4 Monday to keep control over how an annual $4 million Mohawk Land Claim payment will be spent. In the original memorandum passed in …

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St. Lawrence County Republicans vote to keep land claim funds, overturn Democrat's MOU; Massena, Brasher lose out

Posted

By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County Legislators voted 9-4 Monday to keep control over how an annual $4 million Mohawk Land Claim payment will be spent.

In the original memorandum passed in December, Democrats agree to split the annual payment with the towns of Massena and Brasher Falls and St. Lawrence Central.

Under that deal, Brasher and Massena would have received $750,000 annually while St. Lawrence Central would have collected $500,000.

A $500,000 payment was also considered for Massena Central School, but conflicts of interest made it impossible for the Democrats include that payment.

However, legislature chairman Joseph Lightfoot and his fellow Republicans were displeased with that deal and voted Monday to keep the payments under the county’s control.

Lightfoot said the county should keep control of the $4 million payment and that the board should decide how it’s spent.

Lightfoot said he has taken heat for his stance on the land claim MOU, but he believes it’s what’s best for the county as whole.

“I’ve been on the record about this. I’ve been invited to hostile ground and I went. People didn’t like what I said, but I stand by it,” he said.

Lightfoot said he disagreed with the Democrats move to pass the MOU on the last day at which they held a majority. He said it was an attempt by a lame duck majority to bind the incoming leadership.

He said he wants the board to figure out how best to spend the potential influx of income from the land claim.

“The options range from keeping it all, to having some kind of remunerations for the towns,” he said. “Now that we passed this resolution, this board has the ability to decided, as a board of Democrats and Republicans, how best to use this money.”

Lightfoot said the Democrats will be part of the discussion on how the money is spent.

He said the annual payments could be used to save money down the road, by paying off the St. Lawrence County jail early, or repealing a tax on home heating fuel. He said the funding could help replace failing bridges and damaged roads.

“There is a lot of money here that is not tax dollars. There are some many things the county needs that could provide where everyone benefits,” he said.

Despite the controversy it has caused, the land claim deal is far from official. The deal won’t be finalized until Franklin County approves a similar deal and the state legislature approves it. The town of Massena has also talked of possible legal action that could further stall completion of the deal.

As it stands, the MOU would force the tribe to pay the balance of gaming revenues they withheld in prior years. This would result in an immediate payment of $1.87 million for St. Lawrence County and $937,500 each to the towns of Brasher and Massena.

Once the final settlement has been negotiated, the tribe would be required to make a one-time payment of $1.5 million to St. Lawrence County.

The MOU also states that the tribe would continue to make revenue sharing payments required under the tribal-state compact. Those payments include an estimated annual payment of $1.45 million to St. Lawrence County and $725,000 each to the towns of Brasher and Massena.

It also includes a one-time payment of an additional $2 million and as well as an annual payment of $4 million, each going to St. Lawrence County. Combined, St. Lawrence County will receive approximately $5.45 million each year.