content: 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): September 13, 2000
  
  
                             COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.
                          --------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
     Delaware                            0-11716                   16-1213679
  ---------------                 ----------------------        ----------------
  (State or Other Jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)      (I.R.S. Employer
  of Incorporation)                                            Identification No.)
  
  
     5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York                        13214
  --------------------------------------------------              ---------------
         (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                   (Zip code)
  
  
  
            (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
  Item 5.   Other Events.
  
       On September 13, 2000,  Community Bank,  N.A. (the "Bank"),  a wholly-owned
  subsidiary bank of Community Bank System,  Inc., and The Citizens  National Bank
  of Malone  ("Citizens") issued a joint press release announcing the execution of
  a letter of intent which  provides for the merger of Citizens  with and into the
  Bank.  The press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form
  8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
  
  
  Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.
  
  (c)     Exhibits.
  
                 Exhibit No.                              Description
                 -----------                              -----------
  
                   99.1                    Press Release, dated September 13, 2000
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as
  amended,  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/ Sanford A. Belden
                                    -------------------------
                                      Name: Sanford A. Belden
                                      Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "0001.txt", "description": "8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 2629}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM INC", "cik": "0000723188", "assigned-sic": "6021", "irs-number": "161213679", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-13695", "film-number": "724439"}, "business-address": {"street1": "5790 WIDEWATERS PKWY", "city": "DEWITT", "state": "NY", "zip": "13214", "phone": "3154452282"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "5790 WIDEWATERS PARKWAY", "city": "DEWITT", "state": "NY", "zip": "13214"}}
text: 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): September 13, 2000
  
                             COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.
                          --------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
     Delaware                            0-11716                   16-1213679
  ---------------                 ----------------------        ----------------
  (State or Other Jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)      (I.R.S. Employer
  of Incorporation)                                            Identification No.)
  
     5790 Widewaters Parkway, DeWitt, New York                        13214
  --------------------------------------------------              ---------------
         (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                   (Zip code)
  
            (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
  Item 5.   Other Events.
  
       On September 13, 2000,  Community Bank,  N.A. (the "Bank"),  a wholly-owned
  subsidiary bank of Community Bank System,  Inc., and The Citizens  National Bank
  of Malone  ("Citizens") issued a joint press release announcing the execution of
  a letter of intent which  provides for the merger of Citizens  with and into the
  Bank.  The press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form
  8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
  
  Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.
  
  (c)     Exhibits.
  
                 Exhibit No.                              Description
                 -----------                              -----------
  
                   99.1                    Press Release, dated September 13, 2000
  SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as
  amended,  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/ Sanford A. Belden
                                    -------------------------
                                      Name: Sanford A. Belden
                                      Title: President and Chief Executive Officer