Sen. Cooney Hosts Binghamton Roundtable As Part Of "ReGener8 Cities" Tour

(BINGHAMTON, NY) - Senator Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) continued his Regener8 Cities tour with roundtable discussion with local stakeholders in Binghamton. The panel included Senator Fred Akshar, Mayor Richard David, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, Superintendent of Binghamton City School District Dr. Tonia Thompson, Executive Director of United Way of Broome County LoriAnne Welch, President of Board of Education Binghamton City School District Brian Whalen, Chamber President and The Agency Executive Director Stacey Duncan, and Darcy Fauci from SUNY Binghamton.

Sen. Cooney is leading a bipartisan Regener8 Cities tour to focus on listening to the experiences of families, educators, business leaders, and municipal officials in eight cities: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Yonkers. The objective of the Regener8 Tour is to identify new and innovative policy solutions to systemic issues that face families in eight of the largest cities in the state outside of New York City. 

Sen. Cooney, who represents the City of Rochester, was named the first chair of the new Cities 2 Committee by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. He is committed to ensuring cities outside NYC, like those on this tour, have access to resources and are part of the statewide conversation on economic development. The tour will be followed by a legislative package dedicated to poverty relief and economic regeneration that will be introduced in the Cities II Committee in the upcoming legislative session as well as a formal hearing in November. 

Senator Jeremy Cooney
“Cities outside of the Big Apple each have unique challenges, but we are united in our desire to grow New York State. The Regener8 Tour is about creating new policy solutions to urban issues that have long gone unaddressed. Just like there are common issues between the five boroughs, there are shared goals and challenges across the eight largest cities outside of NYC. For the first time in years, the State Senate is creating a bipartisan space for these small and mid-sized city voices, which will result in legislative action in the next session.”

Senator Fred Akshar
“The best way to learn the needs of the people you serve is to get out of the office and into the communities to listen to them. We live in an incredibly diverse state with many unique regions and I’d like to thank my colleague Senator Jeremy Cooney for visiting Binghamton and making the effort to truly listen and learn about our upstate needs.”

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins
“It is clear that cities outside of NYC have unique needs. That’s why I created the Cities 2 Committee earlier this year and appointed Senator Cooney as Chair.  These roundtables are just the beginning of much needed opportunities for Senator Cooney and his Committee to hear the needs of these cities and help to find innovative and collaborative ways to address them. Together we will build a future where all New Yorkers can thrive.”

Peter Baynes, Executive Director, New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM)
“NYCOM applauds Senator Cooney for leading a bipartisan effort to address the economic development challenges and opportunities in all of New York’s cities. Cities serve as the economic centers of their regions, and they can achieve their potential only with a true state partner. The Regener8 Cities Tour has the potential to jump start that partnership and NYCOM looks forward to working with Senator Cooney and his colleagues to convert the Tour’s roundtable discussions into legislation that strengthens and empowers New York’s cities.”