Photo: Brandon Peterman (Zyrshnikashnu at en.wikipedia) · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Tonawanda run?
Tonawanda’s city government spent $22.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,534 per resident.
What stands out about how Tonawanda is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
One full-time city employee for every 119 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 (14,755).
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.
About $1,534 per resident a year, or $4.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,534 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Tonawanda’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,534 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 $1,406, and the middle half spent $1,076–$1,871. Tonawanda spent more than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($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; Tonawanda itself left out).
No trend yet
Tonawanda reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,089 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.36% 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 Tonawanda’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 Tonawanda’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Tonawanda →
Who’s in charge in Tonawanda
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Tonawanda’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on tonawandacity.com ↗.
Tonawanda City School District
Tonawanda’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,500 per pupil, $13,357 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.
Tonawanda’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 Tonawanda alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Erie County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.1%248,651 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.5%204,774 votesOthers: 1.4% (6,537 votes).
Most votes in Erie County: Kamala D Harris
New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
100% of Tonawanda lies in Erie County. Every 2024 race in Erie County is on the county’s page.
Erie 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 Tonawanda.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: tonawandacity.com ↗
- 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 Tonawanda compares with the towns next door
Tonawanda spent $1,534 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $747 to $1,449. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Island | $747 | $5,850 |
| North Tonawanda | $1,449 | $4,636 |
| Tonawanda | $1,534 | $4,089 |
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 Tonawanda’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Tonawanda’s government
How much does Tonawanda spend per resident?
About $1,534 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 $1,534 was more than 62% of 47 New York cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Tonawanda?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,089 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.36% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see tonawandacity.com.
Who runs Tonawanda’s government?
See tonawandacity.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Tonawanda yet.
How did Tonawanda vote in 2024?
New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Tonawanda alone. Erie County, where 100% of Tonawanda lies, voted Harris 54.1%, Trump 44.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Tonawanda?
124 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $782,132 (about $9.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Tonawanda in the state legislature?
State Senate District 61 (Jeremy Zellner) and Assembly District 140 (Bill Conrad). The Assembly district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Tonawanda’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 →