Out in the Middle of Nowhere, Right in the Middle of Everything

With infrastructure in place and a vision of the future, good things are in store for this  lively town

The town of Marcy, located in Oneida County, New York, might be a quiet municipality with a population just under 9,000, but it is also a community rich with infrastructure and vision. With roots going back to the 19th century and a location shaped historically by the Erie Canal and agricultural development, the Marcy of today is looking towards growth and future possibilities.

“One thing Marcy has over any other town in our area is our infrastructure. We pretty much have every amenity that a city would have,” says Town Supervisor Brian Scala. Notably the town has achieved an extraordinary 33 tax decreases in 34 years.

Economic Development Coordinator, Zoning Board Chairman and Deputy Supervisor Carl Annese shares, “The state holds 72% of the non-taxable parcels. So, 72% of the property in town is tax exempt because it’s state owned. It’s $1.8 billion in assessments that are not taxed in Marcy.”

Economic Development and Downtown Identity

Despite its modest size, Marcy is ideally located, both geographically and economically. . Major highways like the New York State Thruway, Routes 49 and 12, intersect the town. “One thing we always say is that we’re out in the middle of nowhere, but we’re right in the middle of everything,” portrays Annese “You have to work very hard if you don’t want to pass through the town.”

Marcy is positioned with proximity to surrounding communities, making it unnecessary to bring many retail offerings into the town.  Scala details, “We always say we’re closer than you think, because of all the retail. You go 1.2 miles and you’re into a retail hub. We’re so close to everything, so that’s why a lot of it can’t get duplicated in our town, because the businesses are that close.”

Although the municipality does not have a traditional downtown, plans are underway to revitalize the main street area. “We definitely have a master plan,” Annese remarks. “Our main street, it’s more of a main thoroughfare where there’s a little bit of retail. It’s starting to build a little bit, but it’s a lot of wholesale businesses, a lot of supply houses for contractors, and a little bit on the very light industrial side. Most of the retail is in neighboring towns.”

Marcy even boasts a regional radio network, with three stations operating out of the same building on the town’s Main Street. “What is interesting is that it is a major network of radio stations for all of Central New York, all of Oneida County, and that is done out of Marcy,” boasts Annese.

A Diverse Business Landscape

Marcy is perfectly located for facilities like the Walmart distribution center. The town is also home to  Wolfspeed, the country’s first silicon carbide microchip manufacturer. “Right across the street from Wolfspeed is Danfoss, another chip plant,” details Annese. “They are on the campus of SUNY Polytechnic. One of their big courses now is chip manufacturing. So, they have a pretty good workforce graduating every year.”

When it comes to business attraction Marcy welcomes all types of companies, from small local enterprises to the largest corporations. “You need them all really,” remarks Annese. “If all you rely on are the intermediate and the bigger ones, and one of them goes out, you’re hurt pretty badly. Mom and pops are always going to be the core of any economic area, because they’re working for their living, and they have to make it.”

A Commitment to Services

Quality of life is a priority in Marcy, and public services are a point of pride. Jim Cheyne, Highway Superintendent, who oversees critical operations, conveys, “Basically, the highway, sanitation, our parks department, everything runs pretty much right through us. Our sanitation is really second to none. I mean, there’s many towns that actually are trying to shadow what we do.” This dedication was recently put to the test, when the municipality experienced 64 straight days of snow and ice. “That really stressed his department to the max, but like a well-oiled machine, they did phenomenal,” touts Scala.

Cheyne has also taken over the town Facebook page, communicating vital information daily. “When the weather is not good, or it’s in question, I’m always updating our residents,” he recounts. “It could be anything. It could be a tree down. It could be a water main break. It just keeps them aware of what’s going on so they’re not guessing.  It really put us on the map.”

Marcy’s parks and recreation have been undergoing revitalization as well. “Over the last four years, between grants and everything else, we’ve really improved on all the walking trails, the hiking trails, our fields, added pickleball, and made it more handicap accessible,” Cheyne portrays. “We’ve really, really focused on everything with our town and its residents, and it’s really made a shine.”

Addressing Housing Needs

Residential development is ongoing, with two new housing projects in planning, one which will introduce 60 units, and another larger development, most of which are single family homes with a few townhouse complexes. “The two of them are a good basis for us,” acknowledges Scala. “I wish we had more land in which to build on, because with everything that Marcy has to offer, a house goes up for sale, they don’t even have an open house because they have 10 people bidding on it.”

Leadership Through Collaboration

The value of responsible but flexible thinking is a common philosophy amongst Marcy’s leadership. Cheyne highlights, “I’m always open for criticism and open for opinions and I’m learning every day.”

Annese offers, “You always have to look at the ideas from somebody else’s point of view. If you look at everything from your point of view, things get awfully stale and very opinionated. The only thing we’re sure of is change. If you don’t change with the times, you’re going to become a dinosaur. And we all know what happened to the dinosaurs.”

For Scala, the emphasis is on bringing business values to the municipal level. “I always push that we can do things without having to raise taxes. We can provide our residents with the new snow plows, the new sanitation trucks, the new pickups, and build a town building without having to raise taxes.”

When it comes to partnerships Cheyne emphasizes the importance of local vendor relationships in maintaining town operations. “I try to do a lot of our business in the township. Our big vehicles, our trucks and all that, we buy from Utica Mac. They’re a local Mac dealer in Marcy. They’ve been here 70 years,” he says. “They cater to us. We break down in the middle of the night. I have the owner’s phone number, and we’ve actually called them and got parts from them.” Another trusted partner is Suit-Kote, a paving vendor whose representative has become a trusted friend. “He’s not trying to push his sales, but he’s been really good with us, and if there’s problems, he’s right there for me,” Cheyne relays.

In addition to vendor partnerships, Cheyne is President of the Oneida County Highway Superintendents Organization. “He’s pretty much a spokesman for all of the highway superintendents in the county,” describes Annese. “He’s gaining knowledge from all aspects from his counterparts and blends it all into what happens here.  And I’m sure they will grab something from him knowledge wise, also.”

Focus on the Future

Looking ahead, the state’s green energy mandates pose a major challenge when it comes to cost, accessibility and operations, but Marcy is determined to find a solution and protect its longstanding legacy of top notch resident services and quality of life. “We want to make sure that we’re providing for the group that’s going to follow us, that they have a good building, they have good equipment, and they are set up for success,” Scala concludes.  From its fiscal planning to its proactive growth strategy, Marcy might be a small town, but it’s thinking big.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Marcy, NY

What: A progressive small town with much to offer

Where: Oneida County, NY

Website: www.townofmarcy.org