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Town Hall · Laurens

Laurens spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities

Laurens’ village government spent $32,000 on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, about $132 per resident. Water and other utilities ($30,000) are counted separately.

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General election in New York.

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Day-to-day spending, 2022
$32,000
year to May 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$132
In 2022: $132, less than 99% of 301 similar cities
Long-term debt
$875,000
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
0
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $3,292
Typical tax bill
$1,903
1.36% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Laurens is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$132 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them

Laurens’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($132 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 $547–$1,141. Laurens spent less than 99% of them.

Middle half of the group, $547–$1,141Median $760Laurens

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; Laurens itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $132 per resident a year, or $0.36 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 69%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 77%From other local governments 9%Property taxes 6%From the state 5%Fees & charges 2%Sales taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $47,000; payments to other governments $2,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $111,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,903 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.36% 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
Laurens$1,903
$1,903
typical bill a year
1.36%
effective rate
$139,700
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Laurens

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

Check Laurens’ own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Laurens yet.
The school district

Laurens Central School District

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

Schools in Laurens →
$28,717
per pupil · NY $34,607
315
students
$8.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $28,717 per pupil, $16,279 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 29%State 61%Federal 9%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Laurens’ votes are counted by county

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

President · Otsego County’s results28,436 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican53.7%15,256 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat45.8%13,031 votes

Others: 0.5% (149 votes).

Most votes in Otsego County: Donald J Trump

New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

The county’s page

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

Otsego 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 Laurens

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Laurens.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    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.

Reach Laurens’ government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Laurens’ government

How much does Laurens spend per resident?

About $132 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 $132 was less than 99% of 301 New York cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Laurens?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,903 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.

Who runs Laurens’ government?

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

How did Laurens vote in 2024?

New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Laurens alone. Otsego County, where 100% of Laurens lies, voted Trump 53.7%, Harris 45.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Laurens?

0 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,292 (about $39,504 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Laurens in the state legislature?

State Senate District 51 (Peter Oberacker) and Assembly District 122 (Brian Miller). The Assembly district also covers 43 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Laurens’ 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 →