SECONDARY EDITORIAL

Village Hall Should Also Fund

Strong Merchants’ Association

While we’re at it, downtown Coopers(ghost)town needs a strong merchants’ association.

So far, it’s always been a Catch-22.

The Cooperstown Area Chamber of Commerce has been adamant:  We only serve our members.

Unfortunately, too few of downtown businesses are members to make the chamber an empowered entity to promote downtown.

The result: No coherent, year-‘round downtown strategy.

Again, the Village Board has $400,000+ plus a year in found money to play with.

It should contract with the Cooperstown Chamber to develop a merchants association that includes everyone, regardless of chamber membership.  $50K maybe?  $75K?  Let’s get serious.

With a new chamber executive director, Tara Burke, has the freshness and energy to take it on.

All downtowns that are coming back have merchants’ association.  Cooperstown needs one.  The only entity that can make it happen needs to step forward:  The Village Board.