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Town Hall · Freetown

Freetown spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar towns

Freetown’s town government spent $363,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $473 per resident.

Election Day

Today

General election in New York.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$363,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$473
In 2022: $473, less than 80% of 368 similar towns
Long-term debt
$98,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
3
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $12,823
Typical tax bill
$3,894
2.75% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Freetown is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$473 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them

Freetown’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($473 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 $491–$966. Freetown spent less than 80% of them.

Middle half of the group, $491–$966Median $664Freetown

Includes sewer and trash ($1,000), 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; Freetown itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $473 per resident a year, or $1.30 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 47%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 50%From other local governments 31%From the state 15%Other taxes & licenses 3%Interest, fines & other 1%Fees & charges <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $185,000; interest on debt $3,000. With these, the whole budget was $551,000.
About “Other”.30% of Freetown’s day-to-day spending ($108,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,894 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.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

New York$6,582
Cortlandville$4,501
Virgil$4,188
Freetown$3,894
Solon$3,455
Cincinnatus$3,390
Marathon$3,373
$3,894
typical bill a year
2.75%
effective rate
$141,800
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Freetown

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 256 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 (767).

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

Roads & transportation3
Administration & buildings0 + 4 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 2 pt
3
full-time
6
part-time
$12,823
payroll for March 2022
$153,876
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$35,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Freetown had 3.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. 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: Freetown had more than 58% 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

Marathon Central School District

Freetown’s K–12 school district, shared with Marathon, Marathon, Lapeer, Harford. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Freetown →
$27,143
per pupil · NY $34,607
756
students
$10.8 million
long-term debt

Of the $27,143 per pupil, $18,099 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 19%State 71%Federal 10%

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

Also serving Freetown

Cincinnatus Central School District · $32,566 per pupil

McGraw Central School District · $28,648 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Freetown’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Cortland County’s results22,063 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican53.1%11,706 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat46.6%10,290 votes

Others: 0.3% (67 votes).

Most votes in Cortland County: Donald J Trump

New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

The county’s page

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

Cortland 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 Freetown

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Freetown.

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 Freetown compares with the towns next door

Freetown spent $473 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $345 to $755. 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
Cincinnatus$345$3,390
Solon$377$3,455
Virgil$627$4,188
Cortlandville$755$4,501
Marathonestimate$3,373
Freetown$473$3,894

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 Freetown’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Freetown’s government

How much does Freetown spend per resident?

About $473 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 $473 was less than 80% 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 Freetown?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,894 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 the town’s assessor.

Who runs Freetown’s government?

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

How did Freetown vote in 2024?

New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Freetown alone. Cortland County, where 100% of Freetown lies, voted Trump 53.1%, Harris 46.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Freetown?

3 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $12,823 (about $153,876 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Freetown in the state legislature?

State Senate District 52 (Lea Webb) and Assembly District 131 (Jeff Gallahan). The Assembly district also covers 62 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Freetown’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 →