MADRID - Blame it on the weather.

The town of Madrid won’t be applying for a $400,000 state Community Development Block Grant this year because priority is being given to downstate communities that were damaged by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. That means 25 homeowners will have to wait until next year to fix their roofs and make other repairs.

St. Lawrence County Deputy Planning Director Jason C. Pfotenhauer delivered the bad news to the town board last night.

“They’re moving money around to different places,” he said.

Other St. Lawrence County towns that have or will cancel agreements with the planning office to apply for the $400,000 are Louisville and Rossie.

“I’m going to Louisville to give them the bad news,” Mr. Pfotenhauer said, leaving the board meeting.

“I’m just disappointed,” said Town Supervisor Joseph A. Finnegan, adding that he is hopeful that the funds will be restored in 2013.

The statewide CDBG pool, Mr. Pfotenhauer explained in a memo to Mr. Finnegan, was “dramatically reduced” from $16 million to $10 million.

“In addition,” the deputy planner explained, “during conversations with state officials it was also made known that funding priority would be given to communities recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

By not applying, the town will save on a $3,000 fee charged by the planning office.

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