forms8k2015december31.htm

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

__________________

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 31, 2015

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	001-13695	16-1213679
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York		13214
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (315) 445-2282

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

	Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

	o	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

	o	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

	o	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

	o	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(b) On December 31, 2015, James A. Wilson, a member of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Community Bank System, Inc. (the “Company”), retired from the Board in accordance with the Company’s mandatory retirement policy for directors. Pursuant to the Company’s Bylaws, a director is required to retire from the Board on December 31st of the year in which he or she attains the age of 70. Mr. Wilson has served as a director of the Company and its subsidiary, Community Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”), since 2009.

Item 8.01 Other Events

At its December meeting, the Board also approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase, at the discretion of senior management, of up to 2,200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock during a twelve-month period starting January 1, 2016. Such repurchases may be made at the discretion of senior management depending on market conditions and other relevant factors and will be acquired through open market or privately negotiated transactions as permitted under Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other applicable legal requirements. The new repurchase authorization replaces the existing program which expired on December 31, 2015. In 2015, the Company repurchased 265,230 shares of its own common stock as part of the expired program.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	Community Bank System, Inc.


	By: /s/ George J. Getman
	Name: George J. Getman
	Title: Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Dated: January 7, 2016