Government
Saratoga County is the largest governing entity, providing overall services to over 200,000 residents. The County is divided into 19 towns, nine villages and two cities. The Saratoga County Seat is located on McMaster Street in Ballston Spa, and it is from here that most functions operate.

Saratoga County is administered by a 23 member Board of Supervisors. Voting in the Board of Supervisors is by majority vote, weighted according to population.

The County Clerk’s office is the official recording office. It maintains records such as deeds, mortgages, discharges of mortgages and liens, official bonds, adoption surrender and all court actions.

Major Employers
An asterisk (*) denotes manufacturers

Over 1,000
Stewart's Ice Cream Company
General Electric - Silicone Division
Shenendehowa Central School District
State Farm Insurance
*Target Distribution Center
Saratoga County

500-999
Saratoga Springs City School District
Navy - West Milton
Saratoga Hospital
First Guarantee Mortgage, LLC
Ballston Spa Central School District
Wesley Health Care
Quad/Graphics
Skidmore College
Sysco Food Service
New York Racing Association (and related employees)

300-499
*Lockheed Martin - Knolls Atomic Power Lab
Ace Hardware Distribution Center
*SCA Tissue
Fort Miller Group
DA Collins Co.
Thomson Delmar Learning
US Food Service
New Country Motor Car Group
Saratoga Bridges
Curtis Lumber Co.
*Mohawk Paper Mills, Inc.
Four Winds - Saratoga
Bast Hatfield
Saratoga Gaming and Raceway

200-299
Adirondack Trust Company
*Ball Metal Container Group
*Espey Manufacturing & Electronics Corporation

Telephone

The major part of Saratoga County is served by Verizon. Call 518-890-7100 for residential service and 890-6464 for business service. Citizens Communications (1-800-921-8101) serves homes and businesses in the Towns of Corinth, Day and Edinburg. Various businesses design, install and service private telecommunications systems. For names of those firms, contact the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, 518-584-3255.

Power

National Grid (1-800-642-4272) serves the majority of Saratoga County. New York State Electric & Gas (1-800-572-1111) provides service for parts of Halfmoon, Stillwater, Malta, Mechanicville and Clifton Park. There are a number of gas, petroleum and solar energy equipment suppliers throughout the County.

Newspapers

The Saratogian

Climate

Transportation

Cars - Interstate 87, also known as the Northway, is the major north-south route and has eleven interchanges in its thirty-mile stretch through the county. Routes 29, 67 and 146 provide the major east-west auto routes. In thirty minutes, you can drive from border to border in Saratoga County.

Buses - Commuter bus service is provided by Upstate Tours & Travel (584-5252) and many local bus routes are provided by the Capital District Transportation Authority/CDTA (482-8822). Adirondack Trailways & Greyhound (584-0911) offer long distance bus service from their terminal in Saratoga Springs.

Click here for a list of CDTA Bus Schedules serving the area.

Air - The Albany International Airport (242-2200), located just south of Saratoga County, has major carriers including American, United, US Airways, Delta, Southwest, as well as regional commuter lines such as Air Canada. Call individual airlines for information. The Saratoga County Airport (885-5354) in the Town of Milton, accommodates private, prop and jet aircraft on its two runways, which are 4,000 and 4,700 feet.

Trains - Amtrak is the primary source of passenger train service. The railroad has a station off West Avenue in Saratoga Springs, as well as a station in Rensselaer (known as Albany-Rensselaer station) with more frequent trains. For information on schedule and fees, call 800-872-7245.

Location

Mileage from Saratoga County to:

Taxes

There are three primary taxes for which property owners are responsible: school, county and city/town. There are other special taxing districts such as library, fire, highway, recreation and the like, which are assessed in some municipalities. To find out the taxes on a specific property, prospective buyers are encouraged to contact the tax collector or assessor in the municipality where the property is located. Saratoga County taxes are among the lowest in the State.

The County has a 7% sales tax that does not apply to food or drugs.

Water and Sewer

Saratoga County has access to water resources coming from the river systems, as well as underground spring reserves. The County is examining a countrywide water system.

Sewers are maintained by municipalities and the County, although there are private lines in some sections of the County that must be privately maintained. The County Sewer District now serves a major part of Saratoga.

For rates or further information, contact your town, city, or village.

Trash

Disposal of garbage and waste is normally the responsibility of the private household. Call the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce for a list of private contractors

The County has an active recycling program. By law, all residents in the County must separate bulk or white metals such as household appliances, newspapers, clear glass and plastic bottles with logos 1,2,or 3 on the bottom. Also, magazines and tin cans can be dropped off at recycling center. Private contractors will also pick up these recyclable products if a household does not wish to take items to a recycling center. All residents of the County may use recycling centers, free of charge, anytime. For a list of sites and hours of operation, call the Saratoga County Recycling Information Line at 1-866-reuse-it (1-866-738-7348).

Public Safety

Ten municipalities in the County have their own police agencies: The Villages of Corinth, South Glens Falls & Ballston Spa, the Cities of Mechanicville and Saratoga Springs, and the Towns of Waterford, Charlton (part-time), Clifton Park, and Stillwater (part-time). The remainder of the County is covered by the County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police.

Emergency medical services are rendered by paid staff and trained volunteers.

Fire protection in all municipalities except the City of Saratoga Springs is performed by trained volunteers. Saratoga Springs has a career fire department.

All police, fire, and emergency medical service can be accessed by dialing 911 from anywhere in Saratoga County. It is important, however, for a resident to make sure that the address of the home is correct and is prominently displayed on the mailbox and on the house/apartment.

For more information on emergency services, contact the Office of Emergency Services (885-2232).

Zoning

Sometimes a piece of property you wish to purchase may need to be re-zoned. Prior to your purchase, be sure to talk to a representative of your town or city zoning board to find out what zone your property is in, and to determine what is permissible in that particular zone. The town or city clerk's office can give you the appropriate official to contact. Be sure to ascertain the zoning of all surrounding properties to ensure protection of your investment.