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Lewis County manager warns of severe drought, updates on Kraft talks and Fort Drum transit partnership
Summary
County Manager Tim reported ongoing drought and active forest‑fire response, said some private wells are running dry, updated the board on talks with Kraft Corporation and a ribbon cutting at Fort Drum for a new transit system, and asked to keep the tax‑override hearing open pending the final budget.
County Manager Tim told the Lewis County Board of Legislators that the county is experiencing a severe drought and that some private wells are beginning to run dry. He said the county has been in near‑daily contact with state responders and that a recent forest fire remains active but is being managed.
“We did have a forest fire. We still, like, believe we're battling a little bit of that at the moment,” Tim said, and reminded residents and staff to conserve water as wells start to run dry.
Tim also updated the board on budget timing and intergovernmental engagements. He said the county’s proposed budget is nearly finalized and asked the legislature to leave open the public hearing on a potential override of the 2% tax cap so the county can make any last legislative requests after the budget presentation. He said he did not expect to need the override but wanted the option available while finalizing the budget.
On economic and intergovernmental items, Tim said county staff have held productive conversations with Kraft Corporation in the past 30 days and that Lewis County has connected Kraft with Empire State Development (ESD) to explore potential grant opportunities. County staff also supported an open house to help Kraft recruit employees.
Tim described a ribbon cutting at Fort Drum for a new transit system, noting it was the first U.S. military base with a public transit system implemented through a partnership with Lewis County. He thanked staff who organized the event.
The manager’s report covered immediate operational concerns (drought and active fire response) and ongoing economic‑development outreach; Tim emphasized that any decisions tied to the 2026 budget would be presented to the legislature when the full budget is available.
The board had no further questions and moved on to other agenda items.
