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Town Hall · Fine

Fine runs its own hospital

Fine’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $853 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($74,000) and water utilities ($117,000), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in New York.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$1.2M
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$853
In 2022: $853, more than 68% of 368 similar towns
Long-term debt
$163,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
9
full-time, hospital & welfare staff apart (9 in all) · March payroll $44,321
Typical tax bill
$1,828
2.11% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Fine is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $853 per resident a year, or $2.34 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 43%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 61%Utility sales 15%From the state 9%From other local governments 4%From the federal government 3%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%Fees & charges 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $299,000; interest on debt $17,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.7 million.
Why the hospital is apart.The Census Bureau counts the hospital it runs in the town’s books ($74,000, 5% of all operations). Only 135 of the 11,301 towns and cities of 2,500+ run one (Census finance files), so it is shown here and left out of every per-resident comparison.
Compared with similar places

$853 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them

Fine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($853 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 368 New York towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $662, and the middle half spent $490–$966. Fine spent more than 68% of them.

Middle half of the group, $490–$966Median $662Fine

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 →

The group
368

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

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,828 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.11% 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
Webb$3,951
Clifton$2,378
Russell$2,235
Edwards$2,225
Pitcairn$2,092
Diana$1,977
Fine$1,828
$1,828
typical bill a year
2.11%
effective rate
$86,600
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fine

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

Check Fine’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Fine yet.
Who works for Fine

One full-time town employee for every 160 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff

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 (1,440).

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

Roads & transportation7 + 1 pt
Administration & buildings1 + 8 pt
Water & other utilities1 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 2 pt
Housing & development0 + 2 pt
Sewer & trash0 + 1 pt
9
full-time
15
part-time
$44,321
payroll for March 2022
$531,852
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Fine had 6.2 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022 (hospital, health & welfare left out, and the same for any peer that runs a hospital). The median for the 295 of the 368 New York towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 3.4: Fine had more than 79% 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

Clifton-Fine Central School District

Fine’s K–12 school district, shared with Clifton. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Fine →
$39,644
per pupil · NY $34,607
261
students
$3.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $39,644 per pupil, $22,720 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 41%State 50%Federal 8%

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

Also serving Fine

Edwards-Knox Central School District · $31,545 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

How Fine voted in 2024

Official results for Fine’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.

President622 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican58.0%361 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat42.0%261 votes

Most votes in Fine: Donald J Trump

St. Lawrence County: Trump 58.7%, Harris 40.8% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

Turnout
59%

of Fine’s 1,061 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.

Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).

U.S. Senate572 votes
Michael D SapraiconeRepublican55.8%
Kirsten E GillibrandDemocrat44.1%
Others0.2%

Most votes in Fine: Michael D Sapraicone

St. Lawrence County: Sapraicone 53.8%, Gillibrand 45.8% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%

U.S. House · New York’s 21st District348,763 votes
Elise M StefanikRepublican62.1%
Paula CollinsDemocrat37.8%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Elise M Stefanik

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Fine, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Fine58.0%42.0%0.0%622
St. Lawrence County58.7%40.8%0.5%44,168
New York43.3%55.9%0.8%8,262,600
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 Fine

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fine.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  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.

Next door

How Fine compares with the towns next door

Fine spent $853 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $602 to $4,350. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Diana$602$1,977
Edwards$1,214$2,225
Clifton$1,753$2,378
Webb$4,350$3,951
Pitcairnestimate$2,092
Russellestimate$2,235
Fine$853$1,828

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 Fine’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Fine’s government

How much does Fine spend per resident?

About $853 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. Fine also runs a hospital ($74,000), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $853 was more than 68% of 368 New York towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Fine?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,828 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.11% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Fine’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fine yet.

How did Fine vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 58.0%, Kamala D Harris 42.0% (622 votes, official results). St. Lawrence County: Trump 58.7%, Harris 40.8%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.

How many people work for Fine?

9 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022 (plus 0 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $44,321 (about $531,852 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Fine in the state legislature?

State Senate District 49 (Mark Walczyk) and Assembly District 117 (Ken Blankenbush). The Assembly district also covers 67 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Fine’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 →