BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

The Republican candidate for the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators District 11 says he’s running out of concern that the state may try to balance its COVID-related deficits on the backs of counties like this one. And he says he believes his background in finance, plus prior board experience, makes him a good candidate to be in office for the unknowns ahead.

District 11 includes the Town of Stockholm and the eastern portion of the Town of Potsdam, and the eastern quarter of the Village of Potsdam.

Chad Colbert of Stockholm will appear on the ballot on the Republican, Independence and Conservative lines. He runs a financial planning practice in Potsdam and also teaches finance courses part time at Clarkson University. He has also served a prior term on the Board of Legislators from 2014 to 2018.

He believes that the state may target counties like St. Lawrence, which has grown a considerable fund balance over the last several years.

“They’re going to be a target for those who didn’t prepare,” he said.

He said this could come in the form of unfunded mandates, which the legislators wouldn’t be able to really do anything about.

“The state obviously can impose mandates that we have no control over. That’s where it gets tricky … the state has a history of imposing mandates on municipalities,” Colbert said.

He says the solution is for the board to keep working with the county administrator and department heads.

“In reality it’s the county employees that really do the work. We say ‘Hey, here’s what we want you to do,’ and they do the work,” Colbert said. “I would just like to see that continue and work closely and well with department heads, the county administrators, and with other legislators. I’ve got a history of being able to do that.”

He says the fund balance could be used to offset deficits from slumping sales taxes. St. Lawrence County sales tax collection for August was down $700,000 over the same month last year.

“You can’t have numbers like that and not expect to use the fund balance. That’s what the fund balance is for,” he said. “You don’t have to borrow money, you don’t have to lay people off. You continue business as usual.”

The county is renegotiating their sales tax distribution formula, which largely hinges on whether the City of Ogdensburg will continue to participate at the county level, or enact their own collection and distribution formula.

Colbert said he wants more information before deciding if the county should increase or decrease its share, but he thinks his background puts him in a good place to understand the issues and participate in finding a solution.

“I need more info, to talk to more of the stakeholders,” Colbert said. “I think with my finance background and experience on the board I’d be well-suited to be part of that conversation.”

“It’s important to understand politics can sometimes be partisan. That’s not really who I am. The district I represent, largely Stockholm and part of Potsdam, seems to largely be non-partisan, just good people who want to get the job done,” he said. “You do have to have ideas and discussion … I welcome discussion, differing viewpoints. In the end I feel it’s important civil discussion takes place so we can get things done.”

He says the best way to address the problem of deteriorating roads and bridges is to stick with the highway superintendent’s plan, and which he thinks can be done without a tax increase.

“I think we can do these things without raising taxes. I refuse to vote to raise taxes above the tax cap. I just won’t do it,” Colbert said. “[County Highway Superintendent] Don Chambers … had a long-term plan and it was able to address at least our most pressing issues with our roads and bridges. I think we can continue on that plan.”