Photo: Doug Kerr from Upstate New York · CC BY-SA 2.0Ames spent less per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Ames’ village government spent $79,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $568 per resident.
What stands out about how Ames is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$568 per resident in 2022: less than 72% of them
Ames’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($568 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. Ames spent less than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($17,000), 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; Ames itself left out).
About $568 per resident a year, or $1.56 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ames reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,143 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.99% 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 Ames’ 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 Ames’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ames →
Who’s in charge in Ames
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Canajoharie Central School District
Ames’ K–12 school district, shared with Canajoharie, Palatine Bridge, Canajoharie, Root, Palatine. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $24,529 per pupil, $15,755 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.
Ames’ votes are counted by county
New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Ames alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Montgomery County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.9%13,286 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.4%7,356 votesOthers: 0.7% (146 votes).
Most votes in Montgomery County: Donald J Trump
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Ames lies in Montgomery County. Every 2024 race in Montgomery County is on the county’s page.
Montgomery 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 Ames.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Ames’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Ames’ government
How much does Ames spend per resident?
About $568 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $568 was less than 72% of 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ames?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,143 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Ames’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ames yet.
How did Ames vote in 2024?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Ames alone. Montgomery County, where 100% of Ames lies, voted Trump 63.9%, Harris 35.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ames?
0 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $5,999 (about $71,988 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ames in the state legislature?
State Senate District 46 (Pat Fahy) and Assembly District 118 (Robert Smullen). The Assembly district also covers 71 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ames’ 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 →