Local Government in Connecticut, Third Edition

Local Government in Connecticut

THIRD EDITION

A DRIFTLESS

CONNECTICUT

SERIES BOOK

This book is a 2013

selection in the

Driftless Connecticut Series,

for an outstanding book

in any field on a Connecticut

topic or written

by a Connecticut author.

Wesleyan University Press | Middletown, Connecticut

THIRD EDITION

Local Government

in Connecticut

FRANK B. CONNOLLY

WITH ROGER L. KEMP AND

PHILIP K. SCHENCK

Published in cooperation with the

Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

Wesleyan University Press

Middletown CT 06459

www.wesleyan.edu/wespress

© 2013 Frank B. Connolly

All rights reserved

Manufactured in the United States of America

Designed by Mindy Basinger Hill

Typeset in Scala

The Driftless Connecticut Series is funded by the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Wesleyan University Press is a member of the Green Press Initiative. The paper used in this book meets their minimum requirement for recycled paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Connolly, Frank B.

Local government in Connecticut / Frank B. Connolly,

with Roger L. Kemp and Philip K. Schenck. — Third edition.

pages cm

Published in cooperation with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978–0–8195–7401–5 (pbk. : alk. paper) —

ISBN 978–0–8195–7402–2 (ebook)

1. Local government—Connecticut. I. Title.

JS451.C85C66 2013

352.1409746—dc23 2013022394

5 4 3 2 1

Cover illustration by Jane W. Marciel

CONTENTS

Foreword vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 What Is Local Government in Connecticut? 3

2 Forms of Local Government 7

3 Who Runs These Governments? 24

4 Key Local Government Officials and Their Roles 30

5 State Government vs. Local Government 37

6 Charter Revision Process 42

7 Municipal Employees and Unionization 45

8 Federal Government’s Role in Local Government 53

9 Some Nuts and Bolts of the Local Government Process (or How Business Is Transacted at the Local-Government Level in Connecticut) 57

10 Where Does the Money Come From? 62

11 Where Does the Money Go? 72

12 Public Safety: Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services 76

13 Homeland Security and Emergency Management 84

14 Public Works 94

15 Land Use: Planning and Zoning, Wetlands and Watercourses 103

16 Risk Management in Local Government 108

17 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Local Government 112

18 Health and Human Services 116

19 Municipal Clerk 122

20 Education: Function, Role, Relationship to Town 125

21 Technology in Local Government and Education 137

22 Other Local-Governmental Officials 143

23 Two-Year Political and Financial Calendar 148

24 Public and Private Utilities 157

25 Economic Development at the Local Level 163

26 Regionalization 169

27 Freedom of Information Laws and Ethics 174

28 Basics of Municipal and Educational Pensions 179

29 Public Policy in Local Government 186

30 Careers in Local Government 192

APPENDIXES

A Abbreviations and Acronyms 197

B Key Associations Involved with Connecticut Local Government 199

C Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs) and Map of Counties 200

D Higher Education in Connecticut 203

E Municipal Forms of Government in Connecticut as of 2013 205

F Municipal Populations, Revaluation Dates, Town Code Numbers 207

G Map of Towns and Cities 210

H Partial List of Connecticut General Statutes for Municipalities 211

Bibliography 217

Index 219

FOREWORD

This third edition of Local Government in Connecticut is published by Wesleyan University Press in cooperation with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM). The original edition was published in 1992 by the Institute of Local Government of the University of Connecticut. In 2001, the CCM published the second edition with numerous updates. This edition updates these previous editions, and greatly expands them. Several new chapters have been added, since local government has changed significantly since 9/11.

In 2000, in recognition of the important role of civics in daily life, the Connecticut General Assembly passed Public Act 00-156, mandating a half credit in civics and American government as a prerequisite for graduation for Connecticut high school students. The authors of this book are providing a service to all citizens of Connecticut by giving them a book that can be used by just about anyone to gain a better understanding of the many facets of local government and how local government functions (and sometimes how it doesn’t). They have done this with the conviction that a more informed citizenry is more engaged and produces a better society.

Local government is more than just a mechanism for providing local services. For those who serve as volunteers in myriad local-government capacities, service is not just a pastime but a major focus of their lives. Indeed, in Connecticut and throughout New England, local-government discussions take place year-round, and often they are quite heated. Local government is immediate; we face it every day. Chapter 1 brings home this point. The battles in Washington over policy issues pale when it comes to the decisions on whether to renovate or close a local school, create a new park, allow a new business to come into town, install a microwave tower, open a recycling center, hire or fire a police chief, raise the mill rate, or, as is done annually, adopt the local budget.

This edition has been expanded significantly, and includes new sections on topics such as homeland security, geographic information systems (GIS), public school education including school business operations, municipal attorneys, and even harbormasters. It still contains information on the basics of local government such as what local officials do, how taxes are calculated, where the money comes from and how it is spent, and what the relationship is between state and local government. In keeping with the tradition of the first two editions, chapters are short, concise, and written for a general reader.

Wesleyan University Press is proud to publish the third edition of Local Government in Connecticut.

Suzanna Tamminen

DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY PRESS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This third edition of Local Government in Connecticut has been written in collaboration with two of my professional colleagues, Phil Schenck and Roger Kemp. Both have extensive experience as town managers in Connecticut and other states. All three of us are on the faculty of the University of New Haven in its Public Administration Department.

The decision to write and publish this edition would not have been possible without the support of Suzanna Tamminen, editor-in-chief of Wesleyan University Press, and Leslie Starr of her staff. Their professional expertise and guidance is warmly acknowledged.

The tone of this book was enhanced with sketches provided by Jane W. Marciel, who also created the sketches in the original editions. Her imaginative drawings add a significant visual component to the text.

I also wish to acknowledge the support of James Finley, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), the voice of local government in Connecticut. Further assisting us was Gina Calabro and Rebecca Adams of his staff. This edition builds on the prior two editions of this book, and therefore it is important to recognize several individuals that assisted in the earlier editions. This list includes Dr. Edward Sembor, Joel Cogen, and Dr. Jack Azzaretto.

The reference books and resources on Connecticut local government listed in the bibliography were invaluable as the three of us worked to describe our over seventy-five years’ collective experience in Connecticut local government. The appendixes contain maps and additional information on the state’s 169 municipalities.

Technical support was received from several individuals with expertise in specific areas, including the following: Municipal Finance Director Anthony Esposito, CPFO; Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Villar, PhD; Town Engineer Kurt Weiss, PE; Municipal Health Director Dr. Charles J. Petrillo, MPH; Harbor Management Commission Chairman Jeff Going; former harbormaster Jonathan Lovejoy; Emergency Management Director Wayne Sandford; and Collector of Revenue Nancy DiGirolamo, CCMC, and Ronald L. Brousseau, retired SBC executive. Their assistance in their specialized areas is greatly appreciated.

Frank B. Connolly

PORTLAND, CONNECTICUT

INTRODUCTION

Local government totally surrounds us, yet its services are often hardly noticed. As chapter 1 of Local Government in Connecticut makes clear, these services reflect the broad levels of human need, and, in some cases, wants of today’s society. In addition to the more visible local-government operations, such as school busses, road and bridge maintenance, public safety, libraries, and education, there are a host of other services that exist and are often below the radar screen. We hardly notice or think about them, but they are there. They include such things as water and waste systems, streetlights, the 911 emergency-response system, restaurant inspections, canine control officers, harbormasters, special education—the list goes on. This book attempts to cover these public services. There are so many types of public services that it is almost impossible to cover them all.

Numerous changes were made in this edition to expand or incorporate new chapters, include specific references to state statutes, identify related governmental and professional organizations, and reach out to a broader audience. Local Government in Connecticut should assist individuals seeking to find additional information or even specific legislation on a particular subject, function, or service. The book is designed to provide the government neophyte, the experienced government official, the newly elected or appointed local official, the teacher, or just a government aficionado, with an explanation of how local government in Connecticut operates.

On November 11, 1990, the Hartford Courant encouraged the study of local government in Hartford’s high schools and published an editorial that reads, in part: The primary reason is that politics and government at the grass roots are vitally important in people’s lives and should be taught. This is the level that determines the quality of life in a community, where decisions are made affecting schools, police, parks, zoning, recreation, fire protection, roads and sidewalks.

In 1999 the Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation requiring the teaching of civics and American government in the classroom. Local government needs to be studied by all; it affects almost everyone each day. Local government is not a spectator sport. Many people become involved in local government, and in one measure or another, thereby affect public policy. It certainly is easier to affect public policy locally than at the federal or state levels, particularity when one has an idea of how local government operates.

After World War II, population growth, suburban development, and the government reform movement strengthened the role of local governments. These developments set the stage for post–World War II urbanization. Changes in the structure of local governance, greater municipal autonomy from state governments, rising revenues, and stronger political accountability ushered in a new era of local government throughout the nation. During this era of postwar growth cities and towns began providing an ever-widening range of services to the citizens they serve, thereby changing the complexity of how local government operated.

With the development of the interstate highway system, and the rapid growth of residential housing in our previously suburban and rural areas, an exodus to the suburbs began. This trend has continued until recently; now there is a shift back to the central cities. Many of the suburban residential developments were constructed in rural areas, thereby putting a strain on municipal infrastructures. As the exodus of people expanded to the suburbs, citizens brought along with them the expectation of receiving city-style services. Citizens began to demand a higher level of services from their local government, and the rural towns have had to adapt and improve their service levels.

Cities and towns typically perform their public services within their respective municipal political boundaries. In some states county governments perform some services for their communities. Connecticut is fairly unique in that there is no county government; it is one of only two states that have no county government (Rhode Island is the other). Thus, Connecticut citizens pay taxes to their municipality and to the state; there is no governmental entity in between and therefore no county tax.

Connecticut is a small state, and a citizen’s input can have an immediate—and sometimes not so immediate—impact. There are, however, many public issues that transcend political boundaries, such as air quality, water quality, transportation, population growth, police protection, sanitation, and pollution, to name a few. In lieu of county government, Connecticut does have regional planning organizations (RPOs), but they do not have taxing authority and do not provide direct governmental services. Regional cooperation has been facilitated in Connecticut by the formation of these regional entities, and it is anticipated their role will increase.

The history of steadily expanding home-rule powers, the need for more highly trained administrators and technicians, and the demand for increasing local governmental accountability has placed a burden not only on Connecticut’s municipalities, but on many of America’s cities. Thus the need exists for more skilled employees and more efficient ways of providing public services. Technology has changed significantly how local governments operate, and certainly, how they communicate with their citizens.

This new edition of Local Government in Connecticut reviews these local-government operations and explains how local-governmental structures in Connecticut work with all of their many parts. Each chapter is devoted to a specific municipal function and details how it is related to other municipal functions; each chapter concludes with a brief chapter summary and a list of key words. The appendices contain maps and comprehensive amounts of data on Connecticut’s towns and cities—a handy reference in one location. Also included is a list of abbreviations and acronyms commonly used in the world of local government.

The final chapter offers some ideas for public-service careers in local government and the specialized background and education that are applicable to these respective positions.

We hope you will enjoy reading this book and increasing your knowledge of the local government that surrounds us.

Local Government in Connecticut

THIRD EDITION

CHAPTER 1

What Is Local Government in Connecticut?

It is nearly impossible for anyone to leave home and travel for a few miles without coming across some aspect of local government at work. Indeed, local-government services have become such a part of our daily lives we hardly recognize that they are there!

If local government ceased to exist, however, you couldn’t help but notice its absence. Students from kindergarten to twelfth grade would suddenly have no place to go. It would be summer year-round! No school busses, no crossing guards. But wait: no school means no school sports, no clubs. What would kids do all day? And what happens if one wants to enter the military, apply for a job, or go to college? No school, no diploma, no job.

When it’s time to go to the park and play—an ugly scene would greet the would-be players. No one is taking care of the park. It is so overgrown with weeds that one cannot even find first base. The outfield looks like it is ready to be harvested. The adjacent community pool is no better. It is green with slimy algae, and all kinds of something growing in it. Ugh! The fence around it has dangerous rips in it. The black walkway to the pool is broken up from the previous winter’s frost, a twisted ankle waiting to happen. Bathrooms are closed, and there are no showers, no lifeguards. The basketball court is chained and locked, the remnants of basketball nets hanging off sagging rims. Discouraged, the players head home. The last of the sun’s rays gradually reveal dark streets—no streetlights! But why? After all, electricity is provided by a public utility, isn’t it?

But what about the businesses in town? Has the closing of local government affected the restaurants and local businesses? They are not government, indeed they often complain about the local property taxes and how the town government is not run like a business. The movie theaters—they must be open, they are not run by the government either. And the department stores, they have to be open, after all, they are in business to make money!

A trip down Main Street reveals otherwise. The fast-food establishment has posted a notice it is closed; their toilets cannot flush. One of the neighborhood kids commented it was just as well, since his brother had become ill on the poor food, apparently due to the lack of the restaurant inspections by the town’s health officer. The movie theater has a message on its marquee, Closed—our fire alarm system is not able to contact anyone.

One of the first-graders, thrilled by no school, steps out between some parked cars and is suddenly hit by a car. Call 911! No answer. The 911 system is part of the town’s emergency operations center for police, fire, and ambulance. A call is placed to a private ambulance company, which dispatches an ambulance to transport the child to the hospital, which, in this case, is not operated by local government (although other parts of the state do have hospitals operated by local government).

Back at home, a call is placed to a local plumber since the toilets have started to back up. The reply is grim; the local sewage plant that treats the raw sewage has been shut down. To make matters worse, a bulletin on TV and radio, and messages on smartphones, warn people to boil water before using it since there is a question about its quality and purity.

The local bank on the corner is suddenly held up by two burglars, and the manager hits the alarm, but there is no response. The local-government police force no longer exists. The state police offer to respond, acknowledging it may take an hour or two to get there.

The next morning the nightmare continues. The trash put out the night before is still on the curb. No trash pickup! Some residents then pack the trash bags into their cars and drive to the local landfill. To their dismay, the sagging sign on the rusty gate reads Closed. The return trip to their home is complicated by a sudden severe rainstorm. The streets become flooded and the storm drains have stopped functioning; they are clogged with debris from the storm. Who is there to call?

The list goes on and on. An uneasy feeling starts to settle in all over the community. Is it safe to live here? Can we continue to live in our houses? Who will collect the leaves in the streets in the fall? Will the roads get plowed? What can we do about the darn dog that was barking all night? Isn’t there anyone to help the family down the street whose single mother just lost her job and is trying to house and feed two children?

And this is just the start of living without town services!

In the long run, what will happen to the value of homes? Can they be sold?

Who will buy? Concern is expressed that everything could be lost.

These examples may seem a little extreme—but are they? Each of the services—schools, police, fire, 911, sewage, parks, trash, streetlights—are managed, carried out, or paid for by local government. Without local government, the quality of life declines rapidly. Even a partial slowdown of town services can have a disastrous effect.

These examples are the immediate effect, but there is more. Local government is responsible for the long-term planning of the municipality’s growth and development. Planning, zoning, subdivisions, wetlands—all are under the control of local government.

Of the three levels of government—federal, state, and local—clearly it is local government that affects our daily lives the most. Local government is not a remote federal agency making a decision on foreign policy, or a faraway state agency addressing a deficit or some other problem; the local is the level of government that is most accessible. Local government allows citizens the greatest amount of interaction, input, and in many cases, has the greatest amount of immediate impact.

Local government is all around us, and its influence is almost impossible to escape. Its local officials are your neighbors—you see them in the supermarket, at local sport events, in church or in the synagogue—and they are readily accessible. Registering a complaint or suggesting an improvement is easy; it does not involve a call to a person you may not know in Hartford or in Washington—it means talking to your neighbor. A simple call to your local town official or attending a meeting at town hall addresses the issue.

The following chapters explain how local government operates on a day-to-day basis—how it is created, maintained, and what services it provides. Insights are provided on details that are often unknown to the general public. The relationship of local governments to state government is explained (the towns are actually creatures of the state!). Also covered are regional agencies as well as the role of the federal government in Washington, D.C., and its impact at the local level.

The chapters will allow the reader to examine his or her own local government, its structure, its services, and can also assist in evaluating its operations.

Chapter Summary

Local government is all around us, and it affects our daily lives in ways we are not even cognizant about. Education, 911, street lighting, sewage treatment plants, restaurant inspections, parks and recreation, housing, barking dogs, traffic lights, trash removal—the list is long. Local government is immediate; it is not in Washington, D.C., or in the state capital. It is run by many volunteers who donate their time to make the community a better place to live.

Key Words

911 Designated phone number that connects to the local emergency center that receives citizens’ calls and dispatches fire, police, or ambulance as needed. It is manned twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Sewage plant The facility that treats all the wastewater coming from houses and businesses. This includes the waste flow from toilets, sinks, showers, and any other plumbing fixture that discharges into the wastewater steam.

CHAPTER 2

Forms of Local Government

The United States Constitution sets forth the laws covering only the federal and the state governments. Towns and cities are never even mentioned! Towns and cities, commonly referred to as municipalities, exist because the state says they can exist. They receive their powers from the state, and therefore, they frequently are called children of the state.

The fact is that more than half of the 169 municipalities in the state of Connecticut were founded well before the United States became the United States! The oldest include Windsor (1633), Wethersfield (1634), Hartford (1635), Deep River (1635), New Haven (1638), Old Saybrook (1654), and many others. Most municipalities are towns rather than cities. There is no rule or formula that determines when a town becomes a city; it is a local choice. Thus we have the city of Ansonia, population 19,249, and the town of West