To the Editor:

Recently, State Senate candidate Patty Ritchie remarked that “State Government can do better than the North Country Power Authority” which has been recently created by legislation to provide municipal power in the North Country. Additionally she said that “she’s all for anything that will create jobs, but reducing taxes will do a better job than having municipal power.”

The new North Country Power Authority will provide municipal power for 24 towns and villages in St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties. Ms. Ritchie’s understanding of municipal power and taxes is wrong. They are two different things. People can have both lower taxes and lower electrical rates. In fact, the reduced electrical rates provided by public power to the towns, villages and county will allow those governments to lower taxes.

St. Lawrence County pays nearly $600,000 per year, all together, on power and savings with a 5% reduction of nearly $30,000 per year that NCPA will provide.

Senator Aubertine and Assemblywoman Addie Russell strongly support both reducing taxes and municipal power. Advocates of municipal power say that the current cost of energy is one of, if not the main stumbling block to development and job creation in the region.

Robert Wells

Canton