Photo: ILoveCortlandNewYork · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Cortland run?
Cortland’s city government spent $24.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,336 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($1.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Cortland is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Cortland
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: cortland.org ↗
Cortland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cortland.org ↗.
About $1,336 per resident a year, or $3.66 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,336 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Cortland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,336 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 47 New York cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,414, and the middle half spent $1,076–$1,871. Cortland spent less than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.3 million), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cortland itself left out).
No trend yet
Cortland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,190 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.75% 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 Cortland’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.
Tax bills are one input to Cortland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cortland →
One full-time city employee for every 136 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 (18,455).
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.
Cortland City School District
Cortland’s K–12 school district, shared with Virgil. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $25,949 per pupil, $17,808 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.
Cortland’s votes are counted by county
New York reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cortland alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cortland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.1%11,706 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.6%10,290 votesOthers: 0.3% (67 votes).
Most votes in Cortland County: Donald J Trump
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Cortland lies in Cortland County. Every 2024 race in Cortland County is on the county’s page.
Cortland 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 Cortland.
- 1Your cityMayorScott Steveas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 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.
How Cortland compares with the towns next door
Cortland spent $1,336 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Cortland | $1,336 | $4,190 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Cortland’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cortland’s government
How much does Cortland spend per resident?
About $1,336 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 $1,336 was less than 64% of 47 New York cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cortland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,190 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.75% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cortland.org.
Who is the mayor of Cortland?
Scott Steve, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on cortland.org.
How did Cortland vote in 2024?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Cortland alone. Cortland County, where 100% of Cortland lies, voted Trump 53.1%, Harris 46.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Cortland?
136 full-time and 29 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $897,135 (about $10.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cortland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 52 (Lea Webb) and Assembly District 125 (Anna Kelles). The Assembly district also covers 22 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cortland’s 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 →