Exhibit 99

[LOGO]                                  For further information, please contact:
                                                          Mr. Sanford A. Belden,
COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.                  President & Chief Executive Officer
5790 Widewaters Parkway,                                  Office: (315) 445-7304
DeWitt, N.Y. 13214                                      OR Mr. Mark E. Tryniski,
                              Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
                                                          Office: (315) 445-7378

COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT SUCCESSION PLAN

      Syracuse, N.Y. - Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) today announced
that Sanford A. Belden, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company,
has elected to retire from his management positions with the company (CBU) and
its subsidiary, Community Bank, N.A., as of July 31, 2006. Following his
retirement, Mr. Belden will continue to serve as a director and Vice Chair of
CBU's Board of Directors, and he will chair a newly-created Board committee
focused on growth and acquisition initiatives and related integration
activities. As part of its deliberative succession plan, which included several
other senior-level staffing decisions made in 2003-2004, the Board announced
that Mark E. Tryniski, CBU's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer, will become President and CEO of the company and Community Bank, N.A.
upon Mr. Belden's retirement.

      Mr. Belden, 63, has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the
company and the bank since 1992. Over that period, CBU has produced compound
annual rates of return to shareholders of 17%, and has grown its assets from
$640 million to $4.2 billion and its branch offices from 32 to 130. He also
directed the successful completion of 15 acquisitions, which included several
whole-bank, multi-branch and financial services transactions, resulting in an
organization that today is nearly 14 times larger in terms of market
capitalization.



      Mr. Belden commented, "I am very proud of all that we have accomplished
together, particularly the marvelous contributions our employees have made to
our customers and the communities where we do business - all while creating
significant value for our shareholders. While I look forward to enjoying more
time with my family and my increased involvement in charitable and other
professional interests, I also look forward to the company's continued growth
and success under Mark Tryniski's able leadership and the capable and seasoned
management we have put in place. We have developed a strong team that is focused
on continuing CBU's long-term profitability, and it is their skill and
dedication which permit me to take a less active role at this time."

      Mr. James A. Gabriel, Chairman of the Board, commented, "Over the last 13
years, Sandy has guided the bank through its growth from a small, dispersed
community bank to a cohesive high-performance regional community bank listed on
the New York Stock Exchange. We look forward to Sandy's continued stewardship as
a director, and have complete confidence that the company will continue on its
successful path under Mark's leadership."

      Mr. Tryniski, 45, has served as the company's Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer since February 2004 and, prior to that, as its Chief
Financial Officer since joining CBU in 2003. Before this, Mr. Tryniski, a
Central New York native, was a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving
clients in the banking and financial services areas.

      Also consistent with its succession plan, the company announced that James
A. Wears, President, New York Banking, and Michael A. Patton, President,
Financial Services, will be retiring as of December 31, 2005.

      Mr. Belden stated, "Jim and Mike have each given over 30 years of
dedicated and effective service to Community Bank, its predecessor
organizations, and the communities which



they have served. They deserve a large measure of the credit for the many
accomplishments our team has collectively enjoyed over the years, and we wish
them all the best in their well- deserved retirement. Among their lasting
legacies are the capable and self-sufficient teams they have led in each of
their respective areas, which we are confident will carry on in an effective and
efficient fashion."

      Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) is a registered bank holding
company based in DeWitt, N.Y. Its wholly-owned banking subsidiary has $4.2
billion in assets and 130 customer facilities across Upstate New York, where it
operates as Community Bank, N.A., and Northeastern Pennsylvania, where it
operates as First Liberty Bank & Trust. For further information, please visit
our websites at: www.communitybankna.com or www.firstlibertybank.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following factors, among
others, could cause the actual results of CBU's operations to differ materially
from CBU's expectations: the successful integration of operations of its
acquisitions; competition; changes in economic conditions, interest rates and
financial markets; and changes in legislation or regulatory requirements. CBU
does not assume any duty to update forward-looking statements.

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