Board of Legislators

The Board of Legislators is composed of 15 members who oversee all aspects of County Government.

The members are elected to four year terms. While members represent roughly equal numbers of residents, the districts vary greatly in geographical size.

The St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators develops local policies and procedures for  departments and the County as a whole.  They review and adopt a County Budget that provides cost effective services for the taxpayers of St. Lawrence County. 

The St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators' regular monthly meeting is generally held on the first Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Legislative Board Room in the Court House in Canton (See attached schedule above).

The Board operates on a three-committee system with one committee meeting each Monday usually beginning with the second Monday in the Legislative Board Room in the Court House in Canton.

The committees and the departments who report to them are as follows:

OPERATIONS COMMITTEE:  Issues within the jurisdiction of this committee would be those arising out of the following departments:  Board of Elections, Conflict Defender, County Clerk, District Attorney, Emergency Services, Governmental Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, Planning, Probation, Public Defender, and Sheriff. 

SERVICES COMMITTEE:  Issues within the jurisdiction of this committee would be those arising out of the following departments:  Community Services, Office For Aging, Public Health, Social Services, Veterans Service, Weights and Measures, and Youth Bureau. 

FINANCE COMMITTEE:  Issues within the jurisdiction of this committee would include the following: the expenditure of money not already appropriated, the issuance of bonds and payments thereon, and the transfer of funds.  In addition, issues arising from the Board of Legislators,  County Attorney, County Treasurer, Real Property, Highway, and the Solid Waste shall be under the jurisdiction of this committee, as well as issues involving any partner agencies that are not currently funded within some other departmental budget, such as the Community Development Programs, Cooperative Extension, County Historian & Historical Association, IDA, Trails, Soil and Water Conservation District, the St. Lawrence County Trails Coordinator, Forestry, and the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. 

When any resolution is being considered by a committee, its proponent or any other legislator may come before the Committee and speak for or against the resolution.  Any member of the public wishing to address the Committee on an agenda item may, upon nomination by a Legislator and recognition by the Chair, speak for or against the measure.  The Committee may set a time limit of not more than five minutes on how long each individual may speak.

A member of the public who wishes to be on the agenda, shall contact the Board Office eleven (11) days in advance of a committee meeting, and request to be put on the agenda.  The Board Office will discuss the matter to be put on the agenda with the Chair of the Committee, and at the Chair’s discretion, may or may not add the matter to the agenda for the next committee meeting, or a future committee meeting.

In accordance with County Law Article 4, Section 154, committees have no power to do anything by which the County may become obligated and all of their actions must be reported to and sanctioned by the Board.