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Connecticut Municipal Governments

Resources on Connecticut local municipal government

Connecticut State Library

  • The Connecticut State Library offers resources for and about the state's municipalities.
  • The Public Records Management Program provides a number of forms, schedules, and trainings for municipal governments.
  • The Division of Library Development supports local libraries in many ways (offering construction grants, for example).
  • The Library maintains extensive collections of town reports, histories, maps, vital and church records, charters, ordinances, photographs, and other archival material.

If you are a municipal officer, you may be interested in our "audience links" for Collections & Services for Local Government

Quick Facts: Connecticut Municipal Governments

  • Connecticut has 169 municipalities, each with their own municipal government.
  • There are no County Seats in Connecticut. County government was abolished effective October 1, 1960; counties continue only as geographical subdivisions.[1]
  • There is no unincorporated land in Connecticut. All land is within an incorporated municipal's boundary.[7]
  • The U.S. Constitution addresses only federal and state government, and not sub-state levels of government. Local municipal governments gets authority from the states.[5, 6]
  • Regional Planning Organizations have advisory role, no governing authority.
  • Home Rule - 1957 legislation allowing municipalities authority to write and amend own charter. Prior to this, changes to municipal charters required special acts by the Connecticut General Assembly.
  • School Districts are mainly the responsibility of municipalities, although there may be an agreement for a regional school district.
  • Some towns have boroughs, or districts within a town that have certain taxing and ordinance powers. Most boroughs were either consolidated with their towns, or disincorporated. There are currently nine boroughs remaining.

Connecticut State Library maintains collections of town reports, histories, maps, vital and church records, charters, ordinances, and other archival material.

Databases

a few suggestions - see also our full A-Z list of databases.

Additional Research Guides

Additional list of guides, generated from assigned subjects.