It is a well known fact that the City of Oneonta relies on the student population of both Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta to support its economy. With this in mind, Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig has written a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, highlighting the city's dependence on the students for a healthy local economy along with asking for, what Herzig considers, a crucial aspect of re-opening campuses to students this coming August. Herzig makes a plea to the Governor regarding COVID-19 testing of students, "Re-opening our college campuses will require an aggressive program of testing for all students attending our residential colleges” and that “Having adequate testing materials available for students of both our public and private colleges must be a priority--along with effective protocols for testing and isolation".

Assuming students return for the fall semester to Oneonta, that would mean a population increase of about 7,000 students.

CLICK HERE to view the letter from Mayor Herzig to Governor Cuomo.

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