Understanding New York’s Peculiarities
To further confuse matters, sometimes a town and village, or town and city, will bear the same name. Thus there is a Town of Dryden and a Village of Dryden, Town and Village of Groton, Town and Village of Lansing, and Town and City of Ithaca. Each municipality has a different tax rate and its own zoning or land use laws, so it is vitally important to understand the location of any property you are seriously considering. This information should be available in the MLS, but ask your agent to verify it for you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make sure you have it straight.
All of the municipalities in Tompkins County have their own websites and you can learn a lot from them, including zoning and land use regulations, public works issues, cultural resources, and upcoming community events: