BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

CANTON -- Canton Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley has extended the town's State of Emergency declaration for an additional 30 days.

Ashley made the declaration at the town board meeting held May 13 on the Zoom online meeting platform.

This will be the third 30-day state of emergency the supervisor has declared for the town in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"To me its prudent and its another insurance policy in case we need it," Ashley told the board. "I'm hoping we won't have to do it after another 30 days."

"Financially we are going to have to make some tough decisions. As you know everybody is getting financially burdened with this," Ashley said. "We are hearing that state aid might be reduced 20 to 30 percent. The sales tax issue, we expect to see a reduction there. And some tough decisions are going to have to be discussed. And possibly action taken on."

"And it's heartbreaking it truly is," Ashley said.

Ashley said she discussed the reopening plan with department heads and how that will be implemented at the town level. The municipal building will remain closed to the public the supervisor said.

The supervisor said the biggest challenge to reopening will be the court system, but the town is conferring with the justices and court clerk on how best to do that.

At the May 13 meeting, Ashley told the board that the town had received 2,000 face masks from the county that were donated by the federal government. The town had handed out over 1,500 of the masks, Ashley said, with some of those going to people from other municipalities.

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