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LAKE PLACID — The first-ever round of funding from the town of North Elba’s new Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund (LEAF) is going to 17 organizations hoping to either improve residents’ quality of life, protect the environment, preserve the town’s history or provide relief for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The North Elba Town Council approved a slate of funding recipients during its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 13. Altogether, $560,265 will be disbursed. The authorization comes more than two years after Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism CEO James McKenna first asked the Essex County Board of Supervisors to consider raising the county occupancy tax from 3 to 5% to fund town-level projects. The increase went into effect on June 1, 2020.