Downville area residents fight to keep local bank

Vicky Klukkert, The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jul. 7—Colchester town residents are fighting to keep the Community Bank, N.A. in Downsville open for business.

People who have accounts at the bank received a letter last month announcing the bank will close Sept. 30. Since then, petitions asking the bank CEO to reconsider have been circulating at local businesses and events for people to sign.

Julie Markert, posted on Facebook, petitions are available to sign at The Schoolhouse, Fran's Fuel, Country Store, Post Office, Harry's Mini Mart, Gladstone Insurance, Dollar General, Armstrong's Service Station, Butchers Garage, Downsville Hardware Store, Sonny & Son's, Al's Sport Store and the transfer station. She said there would also be a petition to sign at the Downsville Fire Department's field day this Saturday.

Markert is the owner of the Old Schoolhouse Inn and Restaurant and a Colchester town board member.

She said not having the bank in the hamlet will hurt her and other business owners.

"It leaves all the businesses in the town in the lurch," she said. "It will be a big inconvenience."

Downsville resident Scott Valentine agreed. "It will be an inconvenience not having a financial institution closer than 10 miles from the hamlet." He said it would be more inconvenient for others, especially stonecutters, who use the bank "several times a week."

Markert said, "We discussed it extensively at the town board meeting last night[Wednesday]."

She said everyone on the town board has signed a petition, as have the code enforcement officer and police officers of the town. Colchester Town Supervisor Art Merrill said the petition has "hundreds of signatures."

Merrill, who disclosed that the town has 22 accounts at the bank, said much of the discussion during the meeting was about how the closure would affect the town's residents.

He said the letter told account holders they could bank at the branches in Walton, or Delhi, or bank online. According to Google Maps, Walton is 10.2 miles from Downsville and Delhi is 18.5 miles from Downsville.

He said a majority of the population in Downsville is either elderly, who may not use the internet or drive, or has limited internet access, so the thought of online banking was not reliable.

He also said having to drive to Walton or Delhi, especially in the winter, was burdensome for residents and business owners, many of whom "do night deposits."

"Since 1905 we have had a bank here," he said. "We deserve a bank here."

Merrill said a resolution was passed at the board meeting to draft a letter to the bank director asking them to reconsider. "I understand it's probably an uphill battle," he said. "But we need a bank in Downsville."

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.