St. Lawrence County committee to consider raises for legislators

The St. Lawrence County Finance Committee was scheduled to consider a resolution Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, that would increase salaries for county legislators and leaders of county committees and boards. The proposal would then go to the full Board of Legislators if approved by the committee.

Current annual salaries are $12,000 for legislators, $14,000 for the vice chair and $17,000 for the chair. Under the proposal, committee chairs would receive between $12,000 and $16,000, the vice chair would receive between $14,000 and $17,000, and the chair would receive between $17,000 and $20,000. The resolution also calls for 3% annual increases in 2028, 2029 and 2030, with compensation reviewed again in 2029 for the term beginning in 2031.

The proposal is sponsored by Lightfoot and co-sponsored by Perkins and Terminelli. St. Lawrence County Democratic Party Chair Mike Zagrobelny objected to the discussions being held in executive session during the September Finance Committee meeting and said he supported placing the matter on a public agenda.

The county's regular Board of Legislators meetings generally take place on the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m. Meetings are held at 48 Court Street in Canton. The board's listed phone number is 315-379-2276. The county's Board of Legislators page provides information about the board and its meetings.

If the Finance Committee approves the resolution, the full Board of Legislators would consider it next. The county's 2026 meeting schedule lists a full board meeting for Nov. 2, but that date has not been tied to the salary proposal.