Want to really drive commerce throughout the Upstate New York region, then we all need to concentrate resources and energy on strengthening our Upstate small and medium sized cities; yes, our cities.

Want to give the Consolidated Funding Application and other state funds a better chance of working, then it’s even more important to concentrate those resources on our Upstate cities. Want to see regional prosperity, it’s through creating and sustaining many more good paying jobs in our cities, thereby stabilizing a shrinking population and in growing all allied tax receipts.

Townships throughout the Upstate region are likely to fight such an effort; in fact they see their city-centers as the enemy. So, cities need to assert their inherent strength and power to produce new revenues to reduce in-city tax rates, balance budgets and to underwrite infrastructure expansion. There are few ways in which cities can gain those new financial resources; substantial new annual revenues.

Consolidation is one way, but if your town is anything like the one strangling the city in which I reside, forget about it. That requires smart leadership and towns are lacking in that department. Then there’s annexation and where city’s have a concentration of good paying jobs, perhaps a commuter income tax.

Anyway you slice it, cities can no longer count on others to support them, so they need to take control of their own destiny.

I’d like to know your thoughts on this. What activities is your city taking to generate new, non-property tax revenues? What are you doing to make your city a better place to live and work? Your input is invaluable. Send me an email at: albert@colassoc.com Thanks!

Albert Colone is a member of the Greater Oneonta Economic Development Council.