Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Freedom

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Salem Welsh ChurchSalem Welsh Church · Photo: Pubdog · Public domain
Town Hall · Freedom

Freedom spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar towns

Freedom’s town government spent $1.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $545 per resident.

Election Day

Today

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
$545
In 2022: $545, less than 66% of 368 similar towns
Long-term debt
Not reported
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
5
full-time · 16 part-time · March payroll $37,066 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$3,443
1.95% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Freedom is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$545 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them

Freedom’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($545 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 $664, and the middle half spent $490–$966. Freedom spent less than 66% of them.

Middle half of the group, $490–$966Median $664Freedom

Includes sewer and trash ($15,000), 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; Freedom itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $545 per resident a year, or $1.49 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 62%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 38%From other local governments 35%From the state 21%Interest, fines & other 3%Other taxes & licenses 2%Sales taxes <1%Fees & charges <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $282,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.5 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,443 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.95% 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
Arcade$4,172
Arcade$3,938
Freedom$3,443
Yorkshire$3,080
Centerville$2,981
Farmersville$2,635
Rushford$1,952
$3,443
typical bill a year
1.95%
effective rate
$176,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Freedom

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 453 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,264).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 10 pt
Roads & transportation5
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 3 pt
Police0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 2 pt
5
full-time
16
part-time
$37,066
payroll for March 2022
$444,792
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$59,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Estimates.Freedom didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

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

Yorkshire-Pioneer Central School District

Freedom’s K–12 school district, shared with Arcade, Arcade, Delevan, Yorkshire, Java and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Freedom →
$24,711
per pupil · NY $34,607
2,230
students
$39.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $24,711 per pupil, $15,103 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 20%State 71%Federal 9%

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

Also serving Freedom

Cuba-Rushford Central School District · $31,764 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

How Freedom voted in 2024

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

President1,093 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican81.2%887 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat18.8%206 votes

Most votes in Freedom: Donald J Trump

Cattaraugus County: Trump 66.0%, Harris 33.4% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

Turnout
54%

of Freedom’s 2,026 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.

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

U.S. Senate1,040 votes
Michael D SapraiconeRepublican75.4%
Kirsten E GillibrandDemocrat24.4%
Others0.2%

Most votes in Freedom: Michael D Sapraicone

Cattaraugus County: Sapraicone 62.8%, Gillibrand 36.8% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%

U.S. House · New York’s 23rd District376,503 votes
Nicholas A LangworthyRepublican65.8%
Thomas A CarleDemocrat34.2%
Others0.1%

Most votes in the district: Nicholas A Langworthy

Whole-district result

President, 2024: Freedom, its county and the state

TrumpHarrisOthersVotes
Freedom81.2%18.8%0.0%1,093
Cattaraugus County66.0%33.4%0.6%34,204
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 Freedom

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Freedom.

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 Freedom compares with the towns next door

Freedom spent $545 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $291 to $1,566. 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
Arcade$291$4,172
Yorkshire$372$3,080
Centerville$552$2,981
Farmersville$629$2,635
Rushford$783$1,952
Arcade$1,566$3,938
Freedom$545$3,443

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 Freedom’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Freedom’s government

How much does Freedom spend per resident?

About $545 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 $545 was less than 66% 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 Freedom?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,443 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.95% 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 Freedom’s government?

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

How did Freedom vote in 2024?

For president, Donald J Trump 81.2%, Kamala D Harris 18.8% (1,093 votes, official results). Cattaraugus County: Trump 66.0%, Harris 33.4%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.

How many people work for Freedom?

5 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $37,066 (about $444,792 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Freedom 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 Freedom’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 →