Ace Brian R Form 4 COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM / BRIAN R ACE ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

ACE BRIAN R

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC.

5790 WIDEWATERS PARKWAY

(Street)

DEWITT NY 13214

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
COMMUNITY BANK SYSTEM, INC. [ CBU ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/15/2017

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock								50,190(1)	D
Common Stock								134(2)	I	By Spouse

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Phantom Stock (Deferred Stock Units)	(3)	03/15/2017		A		553		(3)	(3)	Common Stock	553	$0	2,280	D
Phantom Stock (Deferred Compensation)	(4)							(4)	(4)	Common Stock	20,408.5728		20,408.5728(5)	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Includes 720 shares acquired under the Community Bank System, Inc. Dividend Reinvestment Plan.

2. Includes four shares acquired under the Community Bank System, Inc. Dividend Reinvestment Plan.

3. The reporting person has received deferred stock units under the Community Bank System, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan. Each phantom stock unit which represents a deferred stock unit is the economic equivalent of one share of Community Bank System, Inc. common stock and will be settled in common stock at a predetermined date.

4. Each unit of phantom stock is the economic equivalent of one share of Community Bank System, Inc. common stock. The units of phantom stock relating to the Deferred Compensation Plan will be settled in Community Bank System, Inc. common stock at future dates selected by the reporting person.

5. Includes 133.4322 units of phantom stock acquired on January 10, 2017 under the Deferred Compensation Plan's dividend reinvestment feature.

	/s/ Danielle M. Cima, pursuant to a Confirming Statement executed by Brian R. Ace	03/17/2017
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
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