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Wine Celler, Pleasant Valley, N.Y.Photo: Unknown artistUnknown artist · Public domain
Town Hall · Bolivar

How is Bolivar run?

Bolivar’s village government spent $662,000 on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, about $687 per resident.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$662,000
year to May 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$687
In 2022: $687, less than 58% of 301 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.1M
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
18
full-time · 14 part-time · March payroll $86,890
Typical tax bill
$2,819
3.92% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Bolivar is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $687 per resident a year, or $1.88 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 34%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 41%Fees & charges 23%From other local governments 16%From the federal government 10%Interest, fines & other 5%From the state 4%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $124,000; interest on debt $87,000. With these, the whole budget was $873,000.
Compared with similar places

$687 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Bolivar’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($687 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. Bolivar spent less than 58% of them.

Middle half of the group, $539–$1,141Median $760Bolivar

Includes sewer and trash ($222,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
301

New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bolivar itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Bolivar reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,819 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 3.92% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

New York$6,582
Bolivar$2,819
$2,819
typical bill a year
3.92%
effective rate
$71,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bolivar’s 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 Bolivar’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bolivar →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Bolivar

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See townofbolivar.com for Bolivar’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Bolivar yet.townofbolivar.com ↗
Agendas

Bolivar’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on townofbolivar.com ↗.

Who works for Bolivar

One full-time village employee for every 54 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 (964).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings0 + 8 pt
Roads & transportation4
Parks & libraries4
Sewer & trash4
Water & other utilities4
Courts, inspections & corrections1 + 3 pt
Police1 + 3 pt
18
full-time
14
part-time
$86,890
payroll for March 2022
$1.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$52,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
1
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Bolivar had 18.7 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 243 of the 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.1: Bolivar had more than 95% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Bolivar-Richburg Central School District

Bolivar’s K–12 school district, shared with Richburg, Bolivar, Wirt, Clarksville, Genesee. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Bolivar →
$32,114
per pupil · NY $34,607
699
students
$4.2 million
long-term debt

Of the $32,114 per pupil, $18,980 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 14%State 75%Federal 11%

New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Bolivar’s votes are counted by county

New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bolivar alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Allegany County’s results.

President · Allegany County’s results20,450 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican70.5%14,425 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat28.4%5,802 votes

Others: 1.1% (223 votes).

Most votes in Allegany County: Donald J Trump

New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

The county’s page

100% of Bolivar lies in Allegany County. Every 2024 race in Allegany County is on the county’s page.

Allegany County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Bolivar

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Bolivar.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    New York AssemblyState representatives
  3. 3
    New York SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Bolivar’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Bolivar’s government

How much does Bolivar spend per resident?

About $687 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 $687 was less than 58% of 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Bolivar?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,819 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 3.92% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofbolivar.com.

Who runs Bolivar’s government?

See townofbolivar.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bolivar yet.

How did Bolivar vote in 2024?

New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bolivar alone. Allegany County, where 100% of Bolivar lies, voted Trump 70.5%, Harris 28.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Bolivar?

18 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $86,890 (about $1.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Bolivar in the state legislature?

State Senate District 57 (George Borrello) and Assembly District 148 (Joe Sempolinski). The Assembly district also covers 88 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Bolivar’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →