NORWICH – The local business community on Wednesday was warned of the challenges facing Upstate New York and what can be done with November’s general election right around the corner.

During a meeting held by Commerce Chenango, Unshackle Upstate, a bi-partisan coalition with a goal of making Upstate New York more viable for business, gave leaders in business and politics a glimpse of the issues plaguing the local economic climate. That list includes a number of hot-button issues like education spending, fracking, and mandate relief.

According to Unshackle Upstate, overbearing regulations out of Albany, influenced by New York City lawmakers, are holding back the local economy.

“The goal of our organization is to be a counterbalance to very powerful special interest employee unions,” said Brian Sampson, Executive Director of Unshackle Upstate. “The Working Family Party wants to spend more and tax more. They aren’t worried about jobs because in New York City, they only see Wall Street. But come up to Norwich and look at Main Street. It’s vastly different. We can’t afford the policies that they’re pushing forward.”

Sampson said his organization saw a number of setbacks in the last year, including growing momentum on a proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage, a lack of real mandate relief to follow up the state imposed tax cap, and another year without gas development in the Marcellus Shale Formation.