Photo: Doug Kerr from Upstate New York · CC BY-SA 2.0How is Adams run?
Adams’ village government spent $1.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, about $667 per resident. Water and other utilities ($300,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Adams is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
About $667 per resident a year, or $1.83 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$667 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Adams’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($667 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $760, and the middle half spent $539–$1,141. Adams spent less than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($286,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Adams itself left out).
No trend yet
Adams reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,871 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.01% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Adams’ rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Adams’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Adams →
Who’s in charge in Adams
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Adams’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on townofadams.com ↗.
One full-time village employee for every 187 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,687).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
South Jefferson Central School District
Adams’ K–12 school district, shared with Lorraine, Mannsville, Rodman, Worth, Adams and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $20,041 per pupil, $13,382 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Adams’ votes are counted by county
New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Adams alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican61.3%26,405 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat37.9%16,312 votesOthers: 0.8% (333 votes).
Most votes in Jefferson County: Donald J Trump
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Adams lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.
Jefferson County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Adams.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: townofadams.com ↗
- 2New York AssemblyState representatives
- 3New York SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Adams’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Adams’ government
How much does Adams spend per resident?
About $667 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $667 was less than 60% of 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Adams?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,871 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.01% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofadams.com.
Who runs Adams’ government?
See townofadams.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Adams yet.
How did Adams vote in 2024?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Adams alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Adams lies, voted Trump 61.3%, Harris 37.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Adams?
9 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $39,117 (about $469,404 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Adams in the state legislature?
State Senate District 49 (Mark Walczyk) and Assembly District 120 (Will Barclay). The Assembly district also covers 44 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Adams’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →