By MATT LINDSEY

NORTH COUNTRY THIS WEEK

Rick Perkins, running for the St Lawrence County Legislature’s 7th District seat as a Democrat, says that with the majority of his first term under his belt he has a better understanding on how the system works and hopes to use that to his advantage if re-elected.

District 7 includes the towns of Clare, Colton, Hopkinton, Parishville, Piercefield, and Pierrepont. He is running against Republican Kevin Beary.

“I am running because I believe I can help in making a difference for the citizens in St. Lawrence County,” Perkins said. “My wife and I have lived here our entire lives, raised our family here, so I have a vested interest in making this a better place to live.”

Perkins said that he listens to both sides of an issue so he can make informed decisions, “as I did during the heated wind farm discussions in the Towns of Hopkinton and Parishville,” he said.

The incumbent said there are too many issues facing the county to list them all, but highlighted property taxes being too high for hard working residents to afford.

“Our infrastructure is in dire need of replacing, our roads and bridges are very old and failing on a weekly basis,” he added. “We lack a rooftop highway to enable future business (decent wage paying jobs) to come here and be viable.”

Another county issue Perkins claims is that SLC has too many unfunded state mandates encompassing 99 percent of the budget.

Other major issues in St. Lawrence County Perkins claims that need to be address include the “exploding” opioid epidemic, the county jail being close to capacity which is “costing taxpayers big dollars” and a judge who is putting restrictions on all the “law-abiding, fully background checked, carry concealed pistol licensees.”

When asked where he would you like to see the county make more investment and/or cuts, Perkins said he does not believe in cutting any more jobs.

“The positions have probably been trimmed too much already,” he said.

He says he would like to see investment in creating or bringing new businesses to the area to keep our youth from moving to other states for gainful opportunities.

“That is why I believe we need to continue a close relationship with the county’s economic development agencies, specifically the Industrial Development Agency and the county’s chamber of commerce to help promote opportunities,” Perkins said.

Perkins said he feels he has a connection with the North Country, being native to the area.

“I have lifelong friends and family here and I want this to be a better place to live. This is our home and I want it to continue to be a ‘home’ for all of us. I cannot say what separates me from my opponent as I do not know him or his views well enough to comment. But I can say that I will continue to work with my constituents as I have done for the past three and a half years.”

Asked what he would do to benefit his district specifically, Perkins said he will continue to be directly involved with the communities and its leaders.

“I am here to try and help when I am called upon. I will continue to vote my conscience, the way I have in the past, I will continue my efforts to help keep property taxes from increasing. I will try to be more involved in the trails system and its long awaited completion,” he said.