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The Connecticut State Library will be closed Thursday, June 19, 2025, for Juneteenth Independence Day state holiday

Connecticut Municipal Governments

Resources on Connecticut local municipal government

Terms - Municipal Government

These are some of the terms used in this guide.

  • consolidated town and city - "...derives from a past merger of the town government with a separately incorporated city within its boundaries." Prior to home rule, consolidation required a special act by the Connecticut General Assembly.[7, p.1]
  • form of government - "refers to the nature of the chief executive and of the legislative body in a municipality...there is considerable variation among Connecticut municipalities within each form." [7, p.3]
  • home rule - "In 1957 the Connecticut legislature adopted a statutory home rule law which allows any town or city to write and adopt its own charter and which allows amendment of existing charters..."[7 p.2]
  • minor civil subdivisions - A term used in Census publications. For more details, see the U.S. Census Glossary.
  • New England City and Town Area (NECTA)[4] is the term to use when working with U.S. Census information.