CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County legislature on Monday night unanimously passed a resolution thanking Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Department of Corrections for keeping St. Lawrence County's three state prisons open.

The 2019-2020 state budget included a proposal allowing the governor to close two state prisons, which caused fears in the North Country that some of the local correctional facilities could be shuttered, taking many jobs along with them.

Cuomo recently announced Lincoln Correctional Facility and Livingstone Correctional Facility in Sonyea.

“I just wanted to point out that after the original resolution was passed in committee last week, a copy ... was forwarded into the hands of the governor ... to make sure he was aware our county legislature was unanimous in its support of a couple of the major employers here in St. Lawrence County,” said Legislator James Reagan, R-Ogdensburg.

“I thank everyone for their support of the resolution. The Village of Gouverneur and City of Ogdensburg passed similar resolutions thanking the governor for keeping his promise to our communities.”

The resolution says the closure of Lincoln could help the state economy. it says the prison is “located next to Central Park on some of the most valuable real estate in the world” and “offers the state an opportunity to sell the property for millions and redevelop the property to become a major economic asset.”

The resolution also applauds North Country prisons as “[demonstrating] they are less costly to operate than downstate prisons, result in fewer injuries to staff and inmates, result in higher vocational and academic graduation rates, and are more efficient in terms of operation.”