The Peru Gazette

From the office of Assemblyman Billy Jones 

After New York State and Franklin County reached an agreement over a week ago on the Franklin County Land Claim issue, the New York State Legislature passed legislation (A7759/S7566) to finalize the negotiations. This bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) and Senator Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo).

This agreement has been a long time coming. It first arose in the 1980s when the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe sued New York State regarding land sold to the State in the 1820s, arguing that only the Federal government had the authority to handle such transactions. Due to the lawsuit, Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties have worked with the Tribe to determine how to resolve this issue in a way that was fair to both parties that includes compensation to cover tax revenue loss and shared infrastructure. Jones has been working on this issue for over a decade- first as a county legislator and now as a state assembly member.

“It has been a long journey, but I am glad that the Franklin County Land Claim issue is one step closer to being resolved,” said Jones. “This agreement will ensure that the county is not punished for an agreement New York State made over two centuries ago while also respecting the long history of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in this region. I also want to thank local and town officials, current and past members of the Franklin County Legislature, the County Manager, and Tribe members for all their hard work that made this possible.”