One certainty for NY - Taxes

We were surprised at the amount of control local Village councils had over what residents could do to their homes. Everything needed a permit and everything was added to the value for future property taxes. A bay window costs $50, rear patio $10, small fence $10 and so on. A "little man in a white car" travels around the village checking for violations to ensure compliance and to keep the tax revenue rolling. As in Australia, the nature strip adjoining the street is council/public property. However, the village council will get all annoyed if you do something terrible like, say, plant flowers without a permit.
The local school districts also have a lot of say in annoying homeschooling families, imposing all sorts of obligations depending on the district.
As I kept saying, "Repeat after me - The land of the free".