County renews contract with lobbyist for $90K in 2022

ALBION – Orleans County will continue to work with lobbying firm in 2022 at a cost of $90,000 for the year, the same rate as 2020 and 2021.

The County Legislature last week agreed to pay Park Strategies $5,000 a month for government affairs services at the federal level and $2,500 a month for government affairs services at the state level.

Park Strategies was founded by Al D’Amato, the former U.S. senator from New York. The firm has given Orleans County a “louder voice” at the state and U.S. capitols, county officials said.

The firm assists county officials in setting up meetings with representatives from the state and federal governments. Park Strategies also makes the county aware of legislative that could be helpful or harmful to the county, and brainstorms ways to pursue funding for critical projects in the county, including expansion of high-speed internet.

This will be the eighth year the county has contracted with Park Strategies. County officials believe the relationship has benefitted residents.

Park helped make the county’s case to the state Department of Transportation for canal bridges to be repaired. The state spent about $10.7 million recently to fix seven bridges.

The state also has repaved portions of the Lake Ontario State Parkway, committed to dredging harbors on Lake Ontario and also allocated funds to protect lakeshore properties from flooding.

The county also will receive $7.8 million from the federal in American Rescue Plan money, with some of those funds going to expand broadband internet.