John Schoolcraft House is a historic home located at Guilderland in Albany County, New York .
83-713: Guilderland is a town in Albany County, New York , United States. In the 2020 census , the town had a population of 36,848. The town is named for the Gelderland province in the Netherlands . The town of Guilderland is on the central-northwest border of the county. It is just west of Albany , the capital of the U.S. state of New York . Guilderland was originally a part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck that Patroon Kiliaen van Rensselaer began in 1629 as part of
166-678: A county seat , which is the location of county government. Nineteen counties operate under county charters, while 38 operate under the general provisions of the County Law. Although all counties have a certain latitude to govern themselves, "charter counties" are afforded greater home rule powers. The charter counties are Albany , Broome , Chautauqua , Chemung , Dutchess , Erie , Herkimer , Monroe , Nassau , Oneida , Onondaga , Orange , Putnam , Rensselaer , Rockland , Schenectady , Suffolk , Tompkins , Ulster , and Westchester . Sixteen counties are governed through an assembly with
249-560: A municipality is defined as a borough, city, town, or village is determined not by population or land area, but rather on the form of government selected by the residents and approved by the New York State Legislature. Each type of local government is granted specific home rule powers by the New York State Constitution. There are still occasional changes as a village becomes a city, or
332-506: A county administrator, who acts on behalf of the legislature, the legislature must maintain ultimate control over the actions of the administrator. Many, but not all, charter counties have an elected executive who is independent of the legislature; the exact form of government is defined in the County Charter. In New York, each city is a highly autonomous incorporated area that, with the exceptions of New York City and Geneva ,
415-452: A former town judge, pleaded guilty to federal money laundering and tax evasion charges as well as a state grand larceny charge. Sherwood stole $ 11 million from estate trust funds he was charged with managing in his private practice. He also transferred property to his own name. He faces 3.5 years to 10 years in prison. Emergency Medical Services for the town of Guilderland are provided by three separate medical entities. Guilderland EMS, which
498-512: A foundry which Schoolcraft owned nearby. The house has 15 rooms with six fireplaces. The ballroom ceiling is decorated with plaster crown molding. The house was built for John L. Schoolcraft (1804-1860), U.S. Congressman and uncle of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft . Schoolcraft used the house as a summer home until he died in 1860 at age 52. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The town purchased
581-642: A land-use classification for private land under its Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan (APLUDP). The APLUDP extends the boundaries for its classification of hamlets "well beyond established settlements" to allow for growth. In New York, a village is an incorporated area. About 85% of villages fall within a single town. Villages in the State of New York are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places . Like all municipal corporations, villages have clearly defined legal boundaries. A village
664-417: A mayor and (usually) four trustees. The board is responsible for approving mayoral appointments, managing village finances and property, and approving a budget. The mayor, who is generally the chief executive of the village, may vote in all business before the board and must vote to break a tie. The mayor generally does not possess veto power, unless this is provided for by local law. Administrative duties of
747-602: A town; 35.9% were living in a town but outside a village. Whereas cities and villages can cross county boundaries, each town in New York is completely contained within a single county. New York towns are classified by statute as being a town of the first class or a town of the second class . Additionally, a town of the first class can further be classified as a suburban town upon meeting certain criteria. Originally, towns of different classes possessed different powers. Since 1964, all towns, regardless of classification, have had
830-481: A uniform statewide Village Law (twelve villages still operate under charters issued by the state legislature prior to a revision of the State Constitution in 1874 that forbade chartering villages). Also, villages are part of a town (or towns; some villages cross town borders), with residents who pay taxes to and receive services from the town. Cities are neither part of nor subordinate to towns except for
913-510: A village becomes a city, the Legislature requires clear evidence, usually in the form of a locally drafted charter, that the community in question seeks to incorporate as a city. The forms of government cities can have are council–manager, strong mayor–council, weak mayor–council or commission. Forty-six cities, the majority, use the mayor–council form. The City of New York is a special case. The state legislature reorganized government in
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#1732772027354996-403: A village dissolves (stops existing), each of which requires legislative action. New York also has various corporate entities that provide local services and have their own administrative structures (governments), such as school and fire districts. These are not found in all counties. Almost every piece of land in the state is part of a city or town, which is part of one county. The exceptions are
1079-494: A village or town but will perform some of the functions of the other form. Villages remain part of the towns in which they are located; village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in both town and village elections. Towns can contain several hamlets and communities. If the United States Postal Service (USPS) has a post office in a hamlet it often will use the name of that hamlet, as will
1162-423: Is Sherrill, New York , with just 3,071 inhabitants in 2010. The smallest city by area is Mechanicville, New York , which covers 0.91 sq mi (2.4 km ) (of which 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km ) is water). Some places containing the word "city" in their name are not cities. Examples include Johnson City , Garden City , and New City . Several cities, such as Albany, are divided into wards for
1245-408: Is a municipality that provides services to the residents, services that may or may not include garbage collection, management of cemeteries, street and highway maintenance, street lighting, and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other municipal services. Villages have less autonomy than cities. While cities are not subject to a town's jurisdiction, villages legally remain part of
1328-402: Is commonplace to change boundaries and define new CDPs for each census. The Census Bureau formerly referred to CDPs as "unincorporated places" from 1950 through the 1970 decennial censuses. The term CDP was first used for the 1980 census , and minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 census . Though the term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law, many people in
1411-456: Is contained within one county. Cities in New York are classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as incorporated places. They provide almost all services to their residents and have the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over their residents. The main difference between a city and a village is that cities are organized and governed according to their charters , which can differ widely among cities, while most villages are subject to
1494-762: Is divided into boroughs , counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the five boroughs of New York City, have the same boundaries as their respective counties.) They are municipal corporations , chartered (created) by the New York State Legislature , as under the New York State Constitution the only body that can create governmental units is the state. All of them have their own governments, sometimes with no paid employees, that provide local services. Centers of population that are not incorporated and have no government or local services are designated hamlets . Whether
1577-677: Is headquartered in Guilderland Town Hall, with a sub-station located at Crossgates Mall. There are actually two libraries located in the Town of Guilderland: The Guilderland Public Library, and the Altamont Free Library. Both are members of the Upper Hudson Library System. The Guilderland Public Library, located at 2228 Western Avenue (US Route 20) serves as a cultural center for the town and
1660-558: Is in three towns and two counties. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and have a coterminous town-village form of government. Despite their names, Greenwich Village , the East Village , and Queens Village are not villages, but neighborhoods of the City of New York . A borough is one of the five major administrative divisions of the consolidated City of New York . Boroughs do not currently exist elsewhere in
1743-558: Is staffed by 36 sworn members along with 10 telecommunicators, three administrative office staff members, three animal services members and 20 full time and part time, paramedics operating under the EMS division. The police department is organized into the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Unit, Traffic Safety Unit, Community Services Unit, K-9 Unit, Communications Division, and Animal Control Unit. The Guilderland Police Department
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#17327720273541826-671: Is the current town clerk. Lynne Buchanan is the current Receiver of Taxes. The current town attorney is James Melita. The seat of Guilderland's government is the Guilderland Town Hall. The Town of Guilderland website is www.townofguilderland.org. Like most of Albany County, Guilderland generally votes for Democrats for state and federal offices. Barack Obama received 60 percent of the vote in Guilderland in 2008, and 59 percent in 2012. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Tonko all easily won Guilderland in their most recent elections. In June 2018, Richard Sherwood,
1909-647: Is the primary administrative division of New York. There are sixty-two counties in the state. Five of the counties are boroughs of the City of New York and do not have functioning county governments. While originally created as subdivisions of the state meant to carry out state functions, counties are now considered municipal corporations with the power and fiscal capacity to provide an array of local government services. Such services generally include law enforcement and public safety, social and health services (such as Medicaid ), and education (special needs and community colleges). Every county outside of New York City has
1992-425: Is then voted upon by the qualified voters living in the proposed village only. Some villages have fewer than 500 residents, having incorporated before the present population requirement or fallen below the old 500-resident threshold after incorporation. A village may also be dissolved, returning all government control to the town level. The process of dissolution can be initiated by the village board itself, or upon
2075-406: Is water. The town of Webb ( Herkimer County ) has the greatest land area, at 451 sq mi (1,170 km ). The smallest town, Green Island ( Albany County ), covers 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ). The town of Hempstead ( Nassau County ) has about 760,000 people (2010 census), making it more populous than any city in the state except New York City . Red House ( Cattaraugus County ),
2158-750: The New Netherland colony. By the end of the 17th century, Dutch settlers from Albany and Schenectady began to establish farms in the area, beginning first along the banks of the Normans Kill. In 1712, a group of emigrants from the Rhine Valley in present-day Germany passed through the town on their way to Schoharie . They were the first to record and name the Helderberg Escarpment , originally Hellebergh meaning "bright or clear mountain". This name would also be used for all
2241-696: The U.S. National Register of Historic Places located in Guilderland. Guilderland was home to the New York Power Pool and its control center after the Power Pool's formation in 1966 in response to the 1965 blackout . Most of its operations were transferred over to the NYISO after the NYISO's formation in 1999. The NYISO built a new control center in 2014 in Rensselaer, New York . According to
2324-519: The United States Census Bureau as "a statistical entity defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population" that is not part of a city or a village "but is locally identified by a name." CDPs may cross town and county borders. CDPs are defined collaboratively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau. They are defined for each census, and it
2407-423: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 58.7 square miles (152 km), of which 57.9 square miles (150 km) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km) (1.31%) is water. The town borders Schenectady County , New York, including the towns of Princetown and Rotterdam on the northern and western edges. It also borders the towns of Berne , Colonie , Bethlehem , and New Scotland and
2490-447: The city of Albany . There are several ZIP codes in Guilderland, including 12084 (Guilderland), 12085 (Guilderland Center), 12203 (Albany), 12009 ( Altamont ), 12303 and 12306 ( Schenectady ), 12159 ( Slingerlands ), and 12186 ( Voorheesville ). Two interstate highways, I-87 and I-90 run through Guilderland, meeting in the city of Albany, north of Crossgates Mall a large mall on the edge of Guilderland. US 20 also runs through
2573-432: The "Home Rule" article) of the state constitution establish the rights and responsibilities of the municipal governments. The New York State Constitution provides for democratically elected legislative bodies for counties, cities, towns and villages. These legislative bodies are granted the power to enact local laws as needed in order to provide services to their citizens and fulfill their various obligations. The county
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2656-483: The Albany Evening Journal, winning his first Congressional election in 1848. In the 1840s, Schoolcraft built the early Gothic Schoolcraft mansion John Schoolcraft House upon his return from a European journey. He used it mostly as a summer residence. Schoolcraft was a close friend and confidant of Governor William Seward and married Seward's niece, Carolyn Canfield, in 1853. There are 37 entries on
2739-460: The Helderbergs, raiding settlements with the help of Native Americans . A battle between Loyalists and rebel Schenectady Militia with help from Rhode Island Continental Troops was fought just east of Guilderland Center. It was later alleged the local Loyalists were about to burn Schenectady and Albany, which is not entirely trustworthy as these would have been their own neighbors. In any case,
2822-521: The Patroons, who sided with the rebellious independentists (Patriots), making New York one of the colonies where the war of Independence became a vicious civil war. The patroon of Rensselaerswyck and the local clergy, however, rallied the support of most of the local settlers in opposing the Loyalists . Those who remained loyal to the established government operated, among other places, from the caves of
2905-525: The State of New York have been granted broad home rule powers enabling them to provide services to their residents and to regulate the quality of life within their jurisdictions. They do so while adhering to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York . Articles VIII (titled "Local Finances") and IX (titled "Local Government", but commonly referred to as
2988-542: The U.S. Census Bureau as minor civil divisions . Like New Jersey and southern New England , all of New York is incorporated; all residents who do not live in a city or on an Indian reservation live in a town. Towns provide or arrange for the primary functions of local government. While some provide most municipal services for all town residents and selected services for residents of villages, some provide little more than road maintenance. There were 933 towns in New York. As of 2000 , 45.8% of state residents were living in
3071-543: The University at Albany is provided by Five Quad, an all volunteer EMS agency consisting of University of Albany students and alumni. There are eight main fire departments that also provide rescue; including Guilderland Fire Department, Westmere Fire Department Guilderland Center Fire Department, Fort Hunter Fire Department, Altamont Fire Department, North Bethlehem Fire Department, McKownville Fire Department and Pine Grove Fire Department. The Guilderland Police Department
3154-520: The Village of Altamont, is a free association library. The Village of Altmont is a political entity within the borders of the Town of Guilderland. Administrative divisions of New York#Town See also: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York . The state
3237-418: The age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.7% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under
3320-459: The age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 58,669 and the median income for a family was $ 68,472. Males had a median income of $ 48,742 versus $ 34,796 for females. The per capita income for
3403-451: The area in the 1890s in an effort to consolidate. Other cities, villages, and towns were annexed to become the " City of Greater New York ", (an unofficial term, the new city retained the name of New York), a process basically completed in 1898. At the time of consolidation, Queens County was split. Its western towns joined the city, leaving three towns that were never part of the consolidation plan as part of Queens County but not part of
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3486-495: The area of the proposed village must have at least 1,500 inhabitants and not be part of an existing city or village. Additionally, the proposed village can be no more than 5 square miles (13 km ) in area unless its boundaries are to be coterminous with a school, fire, improvement or other district, or the entire town. The process of incorporation begins with a petition by either 20% of residents or owners of 50% of assessed real property. If deemed legally sufficient, incorporation
3569-427: The cities of New York and Albany city charters, which were recognized by the first State Constitution in 1777. All other cities have been established by act of the state legislature and have been granted a charter. Cities have been granted the power to revise their charters or adopt new ones. There are no minimum population or area requirements in order to become a city. While there is no defined process for how and when
3652-565: The city of Geneva ; New York City ; and ten Indian reservations . As of 2009 , New York has 62 counties (including New York City's five boroughs ), which are subdivided into 933 towns and 61 cities (including Geneva in both Ontario and Seneca counties, but excluding New York City and Sherrill ). In total, the state has more than 3,400 active local governments and more than 4,200 taxing jurisdictions. Counties and incorporated municipal governments (also known as "general purpose units of local government"; i.e., cities, towns and villages) in
3735-541: The city of Sherrill , which for some purposes is treated as if it were a village of the town of Vernon . Some cities are completely surrounded by a town, typically of the same name. There are sixty-two cities in the state. As of 2000 , 54.1% of state residents were living in a city; 42.2% were living in New York City; 11.9% were living in one of the other 61 cities. In 1686, the English colonial governor granted
3818-610: The consolidated city. Each borough individually elects a borough president and used to elect two at-large city council members, in addition to those elected based on each borough's population. The borough presidents once wielded considerable power as members of the New York City Board of Estimate , but the position is now largely ceremonial and advisory. Boroughs function as counties for certain purposes, but have no county government. The five New York City district attorneys , however, are still elected by county (for example,
3901-614: The county also publish maps that conflict both in the number of hamlets and their boundaries. Nevertheless, all land not within a village is administered by the town. Most of the rest of New York's hamlets, however, have less well-defined boundaries, and most towns have areas that are not considered to be a part of any hamlet. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) puts hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at roadside locations of its choosing. The NYSDOT and local governments also provide community identification signs on some scenic byways to be placed at
3984-595: The county boundaries—each have a Borough Board made up of the Borough President, the borough's district council members, and the chairpersons of the borough's community boards. A mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer. The most populous and largest city in the state is New York City , with a population of over 8.5 million inhabitants and comprising just over 300 sq mi (777.00 km ) of land (468.87 sq mi (1,214.368 km ) total area, which includes water). The least populous city
4067-648: The current border. At the start of the town's founding, the Schoolcraft family was prominent. Congressman John L. Schoolcraft was born in Guilderland in September 1806. When his father, Captain John Schoolcraft, died in December of the same year, he was raised by his grandfather, John Schoolcraft. Wealthy grandfather Schoolcraft, who owned much property in Guilderland hamlet and ran an inn and tavern,
4150-527: The district attorney for Brooklyn is called the Kings County District Attorney). John Schoolcraft House The house was built about 1835 and is a distinctive Gothic Revival style dwelling. It features gingerbread vergeboards, pinnacles with crockets, lancet windows, and horizontal beaded siding. The finials on the corners of the house are unique; the bases are made of wood, and the tips are of cast iron. The iron came from
4233-650: The executive branch. All town justices were originally part of a town's board. Today, justices belong to a separate judicial branch known as Town Court or Justice Court, part of New York's Justice Court system. A town may contain one or more villages. Many towns have no villages. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and share the same name: Green Island in Albany County ; East Rochester in Monroe County ; and Scarsdale , Harrison , and Mount Kisco in Westchester County . A sixth,
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#17327720273544316-454: The fine sand for glass works. In 1795, Jan and Leonard de Neufville (father and son) established a large glass factory mostly for the manufacture of windows but also for bottles of various shapes, sizes, and uses. Around this factory would spring up the hamlet of Hamilton (today called Guilderland). The factory could not compete with cheap British imports after the War of 1812 , and with its collapse,
4399-535: The glass industry would never return to Guilderland. A hat factory and a foundry would both occupy the site over the next 200 years. French's Mills, another hamlet founded on industry, was home to many textile mills, due to the power harnessed from the falls on the Normans Kill near Guilderland Center. During the US Revolutionary War , many families in Guilderland were split in their loyalties. In New York, tenant farmers generally opposed their landlords,
4482-407: The land between the Normans Kill and the escarpment . In 1734, the first known religious service was held by a Lutheran dominie from Athens, New York to the "Normanskill Folk", and the first religious structure was a Dutch Reformed Church in 1750. Guilderland was, from its beginning, a location amenable to early industry due to its many streams for waterwheels, large forests for wood fuel, and
4565-465: The least populous, has 38 permanent residents (2010 census). The use of "town" in a community's name is irrespective of municipal status. Elizabethtown , Germantown and Stephentown are towns. Cooperstown , home of the Baseball Hall of Fame , is a village, Jamestown and Middletown are cities, and Levittown is an unincorporated hamlet. A census-designated place (CDP) is defined by
4648-593: The limits. Based on the ZIP Code, the United States Postal Service (USPS) identifies the correct location for mail delivery. The New York State Gazetteer , published by the New York State Department of Health in 1995, includes a list of hamlets in the state. The criteria used for inclusion in the Gazetteer are not stated. The Adirondack Park Agency also uses the term "hamlet", though as
4731-516: The local fire department or elementary school. Businesses may also use the name of a hamlet as part of their name. The United States Census Bureau will, with consideration from the town, designate a census-designated place (CDP) that may use the name of one or more hamlets, though boundaries may differ from what is used by the ZIP code, local fire department, etc. Towns in New York may be further subdivided into wards, although as of 2017 , only fifteen of
4814-473: The mayor include enforcing laws and supervising employees. A village may also have a full-time village manager who performs these administrative duties instead of the mayor. In 2007, sixty-seven villages had such a manager. Some villages have their own village justice, while others utilize the justice of the town or towns in which they are located. While most villages are subject to a uniform statewide Village Law, twelve villages operate under charters issued by
4897-620: The mid-19th century; the New York City Council is currently elected from special districts, which are allowed to cross borough lines. New York City has a unique system of divisions, some of which possess governmental power, see Divisions unique to New York City . In New York, a town is a municipal corporation, and is the major division of each county (excluding the five boroughs that comprise New York City ), very similar to townships in other states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Towns in New York are classified by
4980-401: The new Borough of Queens. (A small portion of the Town of Hempstead was itself annexed, also.) The next year (1899), the three eastern towns of Queens County separated to become Nassau County . The city today consists of the entire area of five counties (named New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond). While these counties have no county government, boroughs—with boundaries coterminous with
5063-648: The only high school between Albany and Schoharie at the time. In 1953 the Guilderland Central School District would be formed on the consolidation of the eight smaller districts. Guilderland is served by the Guilderland Central School District . It has one high school, Guilderland High School , one middle school, Farnsworth Middle School , and five elementary schools. These include Guilderland Elementary School, Pine Bush Elementary School, Lynnwood Elementary School, Altamont Elementary School, and Westmere Elementary School. Some portions of
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#17327720273545146-480: The power of a board of supervisors , composed of the supervisors of its constituent towns and cities. In most of these counties, each supervisor's vote is weighted in accordance with the town's population in order to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court mandate of " one person, one vote ". Other counties have legislative districts of equal population, which may cross municipal borders; these counties may also have an elected County Executive. Most counties in New York do not use
5229-504: The property in 1994. The town, together with Friends of the Schoolcraft Culture Center, renovated the house in stops and starts over a decade, as finances allowed. Around 2000, the exterior was renovated. The interior has been completely gutted and refitted with electricity, plumbing, heating, and climate controlled air conditioning, even a refrigerator and dishwasher. A festive Holiday Event with over 200 guests
5312-527: The purposes of municipal representation. Each ward elects one member to the city's legislative body, and the wards are redistricted roughly every ten years. These divisions can go by other names by city; in Buffalo they are known as districts . These divisions can either be numbered or named. New York City was divided into wards at various times in its history between 1683 and 1938, although they were gradually replaced by Assembly and Senate districts starting in
5395-749: The roadside boundaries of hamlets, as decided by the sign provider. Many towns have special zoning or planning districts and planning strategies for their hamlets, and many places welcome signs at the gateways to the hamlets. Some hamlets are former villages that have dissolved their incorporation ( Old Forge in Herkimer County ; Rosendale , in Ulster County ; and Andes in Delaware County , for example). Notwithstanding hamlets are not cities or towns, many of them are called out in formal addresses for those residents residing within
5478-450: The same legal powers as were once available only to suburban towns. Even so, towns of different classifications continue to have organizational differences and certain conditions that must be met before a town's classification changes. The town board serves as the legislative branch. The board is composed of one elected town supervisor (or chief executive officer in suburban towns) and a specific number of elected council persons; towns of
5561-575: The second class generally have two but may have four council persons, whereas towns of the first class generally have four but can have two or six. The supervisor presides over the board, voting on all matters but not possessing veto or tie-breaking power. Certain towns operate under a town manager form of government, creating an executive branch in the town government, as permitted by legislation enacted in 1976. As such, some supervisors have additional authority or executive powers, whereas some towns have town managers or chief executive officers who serve as
5644-509: The state at the time, and as such was President of the Senate. His family (that of the original patroon) and many of the original settlers came from Gelderland , a province of the Netherlands . In 1871 the northwestern part of Albany, west from Magazine Street, was annexed to Guilderland, after the town of Watervliet refused the annexation of the same territory. Parts of this territory would be annexed back to Albany in 1910, setting up more or less
5727-641: The state legislature prior to 1874. Before a revision to the State Constitution in that year, villages were formed by the state legislature through granting of charters. Many villages reincorporated, dumping their charters in favor of the Village Law. The villages that retain their charters are Alexander , Carthage , Catskill , Cooperstown , Deposit , Fredonia , Ilion , Mohawk , Ossining , Owego , Port Chester , and Waterford . These villages must still comply with those aspects of Village Law that are not inconsistent with their charters. To be incorporated,
5810-580: The state use the term hamlet to refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village but is identified by a name, i.e. an unincorporated community . A hamlet often has a name corresponding to the name of a local school district , post office , or fire district. Because a hamlet has no government of its own, it depends upon the town or towns that contain it for municipal services and government. Because they do not have governments, hamlets have no clear boundaries . Suffolk County publishes maps that give hamlet boundaries, but towns within
5893-423: The state's 932 towns used this system. In towns operating under the ward system, citizens vote for councilmen who represent a specific area (ward) of the town, as opposed to the at-large councilmen elected in the majority of the state's towns. Towns vary in size and population. The largest town by area is Brookhaven ( Suffolk County ), which covers 531.5 sq mi (1,377 km ), but more than half of that
5976-478: The state. Each of the five boroughs of the city is coextensive with a county of the state of New York. Under New York State's General Municipal Law , a borough results when the towns, villages and cities in a county merge with the county itself. This occurred in 1898 when New York City merged with surrounding counties, cities and towns to form its present configuration. The five boroughs are: The boroughs were originally intended to retain some local governance in
6059-508: The submission of a proper petition to the board. The village board must produce a "dissolution plan" that settles specific matters, such as the village's debts, its employees and property, and the financial impact dissolution would have on village and non-village town residents. This plan is voted upon by village voters only. About 15% of villages cross other municipal boundaries. More than 70 villages are located in two or more towns. Seven villages are in two counties. The village of Saranac Lake
6142-486: The surrounding area. Some 59% of town residents hold library cards. Library use has grown with the population of the town. Since 1992, when the Guilderland Public Library moved into its current location, patron visits have almost doubled, from 177,996 to 343,144 annually, and circulation has more than doubled, from 214,446 to 519,426 items every year. The Altamont Free Library, located in and serving
6225-405: The term "Board of Supervisors." 34 counties have a County Legislature, six counties have a Board of Legislators, and one county has a Board of Representatives. The five counties, or boroughs, of New York City are governed by a 51-member City Council. In non-charter counties, the legislative body exercises executive power as well. Although the legislature can delegate certain functions and duties to
6308-495: The town are served by other school districts, including Voorheesville Central School District , based in the town of New Scotland ; as well as Schalmont Central School District and Mohonasen Central School District , both of which are based in the town of Rotterdam . The current town supervisor is Peter G. Barber (since 2016). The current councilmen and councilwomen are Patricia Slavick (2000), Paul Pastore (2006), Lee Carman (2016), and Rosemary Centi (2016). Jean J. Cataldo
6391-503: The town of Palm Tree in Orange County was incorporated in 2019 and is coterminous with the village of Kiryas Joel , having acquired land from the town of Monroe . When such an entity is formed, officials from either unit of government may serve in both village and town governments simultaneously. A referendum is held to decide whether residents prefer a village-style or town-style government, which will then function primarily as
6474-419: The town or towns in which they are located. Village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in town and village elections. Those services not provided by the village are provided by the town or towns containing the village. As of the 2000 census, 9.9% of the state's population was living in one of the 556 villages in New York. The legislature of a village is the board of trustees, composed of
6557-449: The town was $ 29,508. About 2.4% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over. 64.9% of workers are employed in the private-sector, and 29.1% are government employees. In 1812 the town was divided into eight school districts, mostly rural one room school houses. In 1901 the first high school in the town would be established at Altamont, this would be
6640-482: The town. As of the 2010 census , there were 35,303 people and 14,205 households residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 86.21% White , 3.41% African American , 0.14% Native American , 7.49% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.01% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.93% from other races , and 1.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population. There were 13,422 households, out of which 31.6% had children under
6723-628: The victory of the American forces allowed the Rhode Island contingent to travel to Saratoga for the Battle of Saratoga that occurred five weeks later, the turning point of the US Revolution. From 1799 until its formation in 1803, Guilderland was a part of the town of Watervliet . The name Guilderland (spelled Guilderlandt in the original law) was the suggestion of resident Jeremiah Van Rensselaer , who happened to be Lieutenant-Governor of
6806-630: Was a division of the Guilderland Police Department but now operates on their own, provide the Advanced Life Support (career paramedics) for the town as well as other surrounding areas. Western Turnpike Rescue Squad served the local community from 1939 to 2018, before Guilderland EMS purchased an ambulance and assumed operations. Altamont Rescue Squad served the Village of Altamont from 1937 to 2023. During college semesters Basic Life Support care and transport for
6889-531: Was the first Justice of the Peace in the hamlet, an elder and trustee of the Hamilton Union Church, and a member of the first Guilderland School Board. He was also the uncle of the famed Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. John L. Schoolcraft started a profitable mercantile business, became president of Albany Commercial Bank (later part of today's Key Bank), and was groomed for politics by Thurlow Weed, editor of
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