What has led to the population expansion in Town of Colonie?

This weekend on In Focus, we’re taking a closer look at population growth across New York.

JoDee Kenney sits down with Colonie Town Supervisor Peter Crummey to talk about the expansion that the community has seen in recent years. In 1980, Colonie had a population of 74,000 and now it’s at 86,000. Crummey says while upstate New York has lost about one million people to outmigration, Colonie remains a symbol of growth. He calls it the downtown of the Capital Region. He continues that, historically, downtown spaces were known as places where people could live, work and play and that is what Colonie provides.

Crummey says there is never enough housing because people want to access town services and the schools are strong. He says being open to business has led to the town’s success. This has led to a strong tax base and low tax rate for homeowners. He says Colonie has always been a role model to other communities about expanding.

You can watch the full interview above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.