The St. Lawrence County Local Government Task Force has launched an online petition in hopes of negotiating a more equitable power contract with New York Power Authority.

The petition can be found and signed at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/equity-for-st-lawrence-county

The task force is calling Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to ensure the municipalities and school districts in the towns of Lisbon, Waddington, Louisville and Massena receive fair treatment for hosting the power authority’s St. Lawrence-FDR power project.

The task force argues that the project cost each of the municipalities countless dollars in potential economic development on the waterfront.

The task force negotiated an agreement with the with power authority in 2003, which included some benefits for the municipalities and schools within each of the townships.

The task force also negotiated a deal that established the St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency. The agency was granted $16 million and 20 megawatts of low cost power to spur economic development in the towns that were impacted by the power project.

Members of the task force argue that the deal reached with NYPA was greatly lacking compared to a similar deal NYPA struck with Western New York under the Niagara relicensing settlement.

Hoping to establish a similar deal, the task force issued the following petition to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

Dear Governor Cuomo:

I have signed this petition to request that you personally assist and intervene on behalf of St. Lawrence County and each of its towns and school districts that host the New York Power Authority’s St. Lawrence-FDR power project to secure:

(1)A fair and equitable resolution of the on-going 10-year review of the existing host community agreement with NYPA,

(2) Benefits that are comparable to those provided to the NYPA Niagara power project host communities in Western New York, and

(3) Economic assistance that will serve to repair our economy, which has suffered significant job losses as a result of the shutdown of General Motors and partial shutdown of Alcoa, consistent with the legislative policy statement that the St. Lawrence-FDR Project “shall in all respects be for the aid, improvement and benefit of commerce and navigation along the St. Lawrence River.”

We, the undersigned, strongly urge you to assist our communities to receive fair and equitable treatment and the financial support from NYPA that is necessary to secure our economic future.