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Waterloo Library Aug 09Photo: Doug Kerr from now in Binghamton, NY · CC BY-SA 2.0
Town Hall · Waterloo

How is Waterloo run?

Waterloo’s village government spent $4.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to May 31, 2022, about $927 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.3 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in New York.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$4.5M
year to May 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$927
In 2022: $927, less than 54% of 155 similar cities
Long-term debt
$7.1M
end of FY2022, reported
Village staff, 2022
30
full-time · 17 part-time · March payroll $190,005
Typical tax bill
$3,772
3.30% of home value · NY 1.55%

What stands out about how Waterloo is run

Read from the village’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $927 per resident a year, or $2.54 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 39%Utility sales 25%Fees & charges 21%From the state 7%From the federal government 3%Interest, fines & other 3%Sales taxes 1%Other taxes & licenses 1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $1.4 million; interest on debt $233,000; payments to other governments $118,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $7.6 million.
Compared with similar places

$927 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Waterloo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($927 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 155 New York cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $977, and the middle half spent $744–$1,354. Waterloo spent less than 54% of them.

Middle half of the group, $744–$1,354Median $977Waterloo

Includes sewer and trash ($913,000), 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
155

New York cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Waterloo itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $3,772 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 3.30% 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
Fayette$3,814
Waterloo$3,772
Seneca Falls$3,383
$3,772
typical bill a year
3.30%
effective rate
$114,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Waterloo

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

See waterlootown.org for Waterloo’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Waterloo yet.waterlootown.org ↗
Agendas

Waterloo’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The village posts agendas and minutes on waterlootown.org ↗.

Who works for Waterloo

One full-time village employee for every 162 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 (4,864).

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

Police9 + 7 pt
Water & other utilities7 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation5
Sewer & trash5
Administration & buildings3 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries1 + 4 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 2 pt
30
full-time
17
part-time
$190,005
payroll for March 2022
$2.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$70,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
8
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Waterloo had 6.2 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 128 of the 155 New York cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.6: Waterloo had more than 57% 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

Waterloo Central School District

Waterloo’s K–12 school district, shared with Waterloo, Junius, Fayette, Tyre. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Waterloo →
$28,798
per pupil · NY $34,607
1,477
students
$24.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $28,798 per pupil, $19,039 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 30%State 60%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

Waterloo’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Seneca County’s results15,105 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican55.5%8,379 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat43.8%6,610 votes

Others: 0.8% (116 votes).

Most votes in Seneca County: Donald J Trump

New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%

The county’s page

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

Seneca 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 Waterloo

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Waterloo.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  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 Waterloo compares with the towns next door

Waterloo spent $927 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Fayette$388$3,814
Seneca Falls$944$3,383
Waterloo$927$3,772

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 Waterloo’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Waterloo’s government

How much does Waterloo spend per resident?

About $927 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 $927 was less than 54% of 155 New York cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Waterloo?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,772 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 3.30% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see waterlootown.org.

Who runs Waterloo’s government?

See waterlootown.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Waterloo yet.

How did Waterloo vote in 2024?

New York counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Waterloo alone. Seneca County, where 100% of Waterloo lies, voted Trump 55.5%, Harris 43.8% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Waterloo?

30 full-time and 17 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $190,005 (about $2.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Waterloo in the state legislature?

State Senate District 58 (Tom O'Mara) 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 Waterloo’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 →