MALONE -- Franklin County might help Massena expand its airport if St. Lawrence County renegotiates its casino-revenue compact and takes a smaller annual share.

Town of Massena, Town of Brasher and St. Lawrence County officials recently asked legislators to contribute an unspecified portion toward the $5 million cost to extend the Massena airport runway and upgrade the terminal.

They said expansion would allow 100-passenger jets to land, bringing high-roller gamblers to the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and the proposed $108 million auto racetrack and harness-racing venue in the towns of Brasher and Norfolk.

Edward Kanab, the consultant who made the pitch to legislators, said he could have a passenger airline "in here tomorrow" if the improvements were made.

"I'm willing to look at regional plans that will help the area, but they want us to help with an airport to bring people to Brasher where they plan to have a racetrack with slot machines," said Legislator Paul Maroun (R-Tupper Lake).

"Their slots will draw people away from the casino, which will lower the division we get," he said. "The taxpayers in Franklin County will lose money. Why would we want to give our taxpayers' money and help these people?"

Massena, Brasher and the St. Lawrence County, along with Franklin County and the towns of Fort Covington and Bombay, and the state all share a percentage of revenue from the 1,200 slot machines in operation at the existing casino.

The most-recent shares awarded gave each county $575,000 and the four towns $287,500 each.

And all must specify to the Empire State Development Corp. how their shares will be used before the funds are released.

Economic development is expected to be the key area to concentrate the funds, so it is that money that the St. Lawrence County officials say Franklin County can dip into to help pay for the airport expansion.

Franklin County specified it will use $132,758 in the Highway Department, $358,742 for tourism and $83,500 for the Empire Zone.

But none of the St. Lawrence County entities earmarked any of their slot-machine profits to the airport project, according to paperwork submitted to the Development Corp.

Its share will pay salaries in the county Office of Economic Development, fund surveys and marketing plans, promote the casino and fund problem-gambling services, fiber-optic network for a newly reopened paper mill and youth employment programs among others.

Maroun said he and some of his colleagues don't think St. Lawrence County should be sharing in any of the casino profits because the gaming complex lies entirely within Franklin County, which makes it responsible for all the liability and tax-roll losses associated with the operation.

He said he would consider helping with the airport if there was a renegotiation of the existing slot-machine contract to make it more of a 75/25 or 80/20 split, adding that Sen. Betty Little (R-Queensbury) and Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D-Cape Vincent) could mediate.