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Manchester Permits Start with the Town Code Office
Manchester residents should separate building-permit questions, town/county taxes, water payments, dog licenses, and village-specific permit forms before starting paperwork.
Published June 24, 2026 · Last verified June 24, 2026
Manchester is a good place to slow down on jurisdiction before printing a form. The Town Clerk and Tax Collector handle a wide mix of errands: dog licenses, hunting and fishing licenses, town and county property tax collection from January through March, transfer station pay cards, marriage and vital records, and town water payments.
The assessor handles STAR and exemptions, but tax questions may go to a school district or Ontario County instead. For building work, the Zoning and Code Enforcement route lists code officers, office hours, and forms.
The local wrinkle is that separate building-permit forms exist for the Town of Manchester and for Clifton Springs, Manchester village, and Shortsville. A project in the town outside a village may not start with the same paperwork as a project inside one of those villages.
Before calling, gather the address, parcel, village-or-town location, project scope, and any tax question. Then ask which Manchester route applies. The right doorway keeps the code office, clerk, and assessor from becoming one blurry errand. Keep Town of Manchester, Clifton Springs, Manchester village, Shortsville, Zoning and Code Enforcement, Town Clerk, Tax Collector, and Ontario County in the same project file.