Councils of governments in Connecticut

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Councils of governments in Connecticut
A clickable Connecticut planning region map Planning Regions of Connecticut.pngNorthwest HillsCapitol RegionNortheastern ConnecticutSoutheastern ConnecticutGreater BridgeportWestern ConnecticutNaugatuck ValleySouth Central ConnecticutLower Connecticut River Valley
A clickable Connecticut planning region map
Clickable map of Connecticut planning regions
Location Connecticut, United States
Number9
Populations96,692 (Northeastern CT) – 975,328 (Capitol Region)
Areas140.46 square miles (363.8 km2) (Metropolitan) – 1,027.46 square miles (2,661.1 km2) (Capitol Region)
Government
Subdivisions

In Connecticut, councils of governments, also known as COGs, are regional planning organizations that bring together the chief elected officials or professional managers from member municipalities in Connecticut. Since 2015 and 2022, the Connecticut planning regions served by COGs have been recognized as county equivalents under state and federal law respectively, superseding the eight legacy counties in the state for most federal funding and statistical purposes. [1]

Contents

The COGs are meant to aid coordination among neighboring cities and towns, and between the towns and the state government, on issues including land use, zoning, and transportation. They serve some functions analogous to county governments in other states, but have no independent taxing authority (Connecticut disbanded county governments in 1960). Councils of government also host some intermunicipal services based on the needs and voluntary participation of member or client municipalities. Councils, or COGs, receive funding through membership dues, state grants, and federal grants.

As of 2018, Connecticut has 9 regional councils following a series of mergers and realignments between 2013 and 2015. Populations are from the 2010 census. [2] For current membership, see List of municipalities in Connecticut. Some COGs also serve as either federal metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), rural planning organizations (RPO), or share staff with one or more MPOs/RPOs within their borders; the Western Connecticut COG, for example, supports both the Housatonic Valley MPO and the South Western CT MPO.

History

The dissolution of county governments in 1960 created an absence of a regionally-oriented governmental level, which created problems when it came to land use and infrastructure planning. Because the power once reserved for county governments was now in the hands of municipal administrations, major land use, environmental, and infrastructure issues often pitted one town against another, resulting in little or no progress on some projects. Complicating this, the state constitution delegates a large portion of the state's authority to the towns. That means a major multi-town project could be completely derailed if only one of the affected towns opposed the project, since the project would require each affected town to issue its own permits for the portions within its territory. This often led to long and costly lawsuits between towns that supported a regional-scale project and those opposed.[ citation needed ]

In an effort to resolve these conflicts, the State of Connecticut passed legislation in the 1980s establishing fifteen regional councils, which cluster towns with similar demographics into an administrative planning region, in contrast to the old county structure. In 2013, the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management approved a merger of the Connecticut River Estuary and the Midstate planning regions to form the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. [3]

In 2014 the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) completed a comprehensive analysis of the boundaries of logical planning regions in Connecticut under Section 16a-4c of the Connecticut General Statutes (2014 Supplement). This analysis resulted in the number of planning regions being reduced from the original fifteen to nine, as a result of four voluntary consolidations and the elimination of two planning regions. As required by statute, the OPM notified the chief executive officer in each municipality that was proposed for redesignation and offered them a thirty day period to appeal the proposed redesignation. Of the seventeen municipalities that were proposed for redesignation by OPM, only three opted to exercise their right to appeal. OPM staff attended meetings in Bristol, Burlington and Plymouth, and subsequently granted each of the appeals.

In 2019 the state recommended to the United States Census Bureau that the nine Councils of Governments replace eight legacy counties in Connecticut for statistical purposes. [4] This proposal was approved by the Census Bureau in 2022, and will be fully implemented by 2024. [5] In 2015, the State of Connecticut had previously recognized COGs as county equivalents under state law in anticipation of future census recognition, allowing them to apply for funding and grants made available to county governments in other states.

Functions

Connecticut’s planning regions provide a geographic framework within which municipalities can jointly address common interests, and coordinate such interests with state plans and programs. State statutes authorize the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to designate or redesignate the boundaries of logical planning regions, whereas the member municipalities of each planning region are authorized under separate state statutes to establish a formal governance structure known as a regional council of governments (RCOG).

Unlike county governments, the authority of regional councils is limited to land use policy-making, infrastructure development, emergency preparedness, and long-term planning for population and economic changes for the communities within their respective jurisdiction. The regional councils have no taxing authority; they are financed by funds from the state and member towns.

Regional councils also have some limited law enforcement authority. If approved by the regional council, member towns can put forth a portion of their law enforcement resources to create regional task forces to combat organized crime and drug trafficking. With assistance from the Connecticut State Police and FBI, several regions have established such task forces. The Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Bridgeport Violent Crimes Task Force, and New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force are examples. [6] Individual law enforcement agencies contributing resources to these regional task forces retain their original identities, rather than assuming the identity of the regional task force.

Several similar regional agencies exist, including federally designated metropolitan planning organizations. These include several dual purpose agencies or continuing organizations that were once designated state regional planning agencies. [7] Several may be consolidated in the future. [8]

Alphabetical listing

Planning region
FIPS code [9] Council of governments (COG)
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)Largest city/town (by population)Executive DirectorPopulation
(2023) [10] 		Area [11] Map
CapitolPlanning Region 110 Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG)(Same) Hartford Matthew Hart975,3281,027.3 sq mi (2,661 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Capitol Planning Region.svg
Greater BridgeportPlanning Region 120 Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) Greater Bridgeport and Valley MPO Bridgeport Matthew Fulda327,651140.2 sq mi (363 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Greater Bridgeport Planning Region.svg
Lower Connecticut River ValleyPlanning Region 130 Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG)(Same) Middletown Samuel S. Gold176,215424.1 sq mi (1,098 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region.svg
Naugatuck ValleyPlanning Region 140 Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) Central Naugatuck MPO Waterbury Rick Dunne456,128412.8 sq mi (1,069 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Naugatuck Valley Planning Region.svg
Northeastern ConnecticutPlanning Region 150 Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (NECCOG)(Same/Rural Planning Region) Killingly John Filchak96,692553.9 sq mi (1,435 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region.svg
Northwest HillsPlanning Region 160 Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG)(Same/Rural Planning Region) Torrington Robert A. Phillips113,463786.6 sq mi (2,037 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Northwest Hills Planning Region.svg
South Central ConnecticutPlanning Region 170 South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG)(Same) New Haven Carl J. Amento568,158367.2 sq mi (951 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting South Central Connecticut Planning Region.svg
Southeastern ConnecticutPlanning Region 180 Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG)(Same) Norwich Amanda E. Kennedy279,634598.1 sq mi (1,549 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region.svg
Western ConnecticutPlanning Region 190 Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) South Western CT MPO &
Housatonic Valley MPO		 Stamford Francis Pickering623,907532.1 sq mi (1,378 km2) Map of Connecticut highlighting Western Connecticut Planning Region.svg

U.S. Census Bureau

Comparison of county boundaries to planning regions CT Planning vs County Census.png
Comparison of county boundaries to planning regions

The United States Census Bureau formally recognized the planning regions/councils of government as county equivalents in the Federal Register on June 6, 2022. A draft notice of potential recognition would have adapted the existing FIPS codes for the eight "legacy counties", however in response to submitted comments, the bureau retired the codes and assigned new ones to more clearly illustrate the break in geographic continuity. The Census noted that there is substantial correlation between the historic county borders and planning regions, however planning regions may incorporate towns from several counties. The bureau notes that the recognition of planning regions as county equivalents was unique to the specific conditions in Connecticut, and would not constitute a binding precedent on similar conditions in other states. [12]

Defunct regions

Regional Council of Governments of Connecticut as of 2013 (before consolidation) CT regions 2013.jpg
Regional Council of Governments of Connecticut as of 2013 (before consolidation)

These regional planning agencies existed prior to the realignment beginning in 2013:

  1. Capitol Region Council of Governments [13] (Hartford area)
  2. Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency [14] (Bristol-New Britain area)
  3. Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency [15] (Old Saybrook area)
  4. Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley [16] (Waterbury area)
  5. Greater Bridgeport Regional Council [17] (Bridgeport area)
  6. Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials [18] (Danbury area)
  7. Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials (Torrington area)
  8. Midstate Regional Planning Agency [15] (Middletown area)
  9. Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments [19] (Danielson area)
  10. Northwestern Connecticut Council of Governments [3] (Warren area)
  11. South Central Regional Council of Governments [20] (New Haven area)
  12. Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments [21] (Norwich-New London area)
  13. South Western Regional Planning Agency [22] (Stamford-Norwalk area)
  14. Valley Council of Governments [23] (Derby/Shelton area)
  15. Windham Region Council of Governments [24] (Willimantic area)

Informal regions

Connecticut has a number of informal regions that have no governmental unit associated with them, although may generally correspond to a regional planning agency or council of government boundary.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut</span> U.S. state

Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford, and its most populous city is Bridgeport. Connecticut lies between the major hubs of New York City and Boston along the Northeast Corridor, where the New York metropolitan area, which includes six of Connecticut's seven largest cities, extends well into the southwestern part of the state. Connecticut is the third-smallest state by area after Rhode Island and Delaware, and the 29th most populous with slightly more than 3.6 million residents as of 2020, ranking it fourth among the most densely populated U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfield County, Connecticut</span> County in Connecticut, United States

Fairfield County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 957,419, representing 26.6% of Connecticut's overall population. The closest to the center of the New York metropolitan area, the county contains four of the state's top 7 largest cities—Bridgeport (1st), Stamford (2nd), Norwalk (6th), and Danbury (7th)—whose combined population of 433,368 is nearly half the county's total population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Haven County, Connecticut</span> County in Connecticut, United States

New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's top 5 largest cities, New Haven (3rd) and Waterbury (5th), are part of New Haven County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New London County, Connecticut</span> County in Connecticut, United States

New London County is in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut Combined Statistical Area. There is no county government and no county seat, as is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties; towns are responsible for all local government activities, including fire and rescue, snow removal, and schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windham County, Connecticut</span> County in Connecticut, United States

Windham County is one of the eight historical counties in the U.S. state of Connecticut, located in its northeastern corner. As of the 2020 census, the population was 116,418, making it the least populous county in Connecticut. It forms the core of the region known as the Quiet Corner. Windham County is included in the Worcester, MA-CT Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT Combined Statistical Area. The entire county is within the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, as designated by the National Park Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County (United States)</span> Subdivision used by most states in the United States

In the United States, a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs, respectively. The specific governmental powers of counties vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships, municipalities, and unincorporated areas. Certain municipalities are in multiple counties; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs. Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties, or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities. Conversely, those counties in Connecticut, Rhode Island, eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties, and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watertown, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Watertown is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The population was 22,105 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Codes for Watertown are 06795 and 06779. It is a suburb of Waterbury. The urban center of the town is the Watertown census-designated place, with a population of 3,938 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beacon Falls, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Beacon Falls is a town in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region & is around 6 miles from Waterbury. It lies in the southwestern part of the state, and is bisected by the Naugatuck River. The population was 6,000 at the 2020 census, down from 6,049 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospect, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Prospect is a town in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, United States. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Waterbury to its north, and is on the north-eastern fringes of the New York metropolitan area. The population was estimated to be 9,401 in 2020. Prospect is part of the Waterbury NECTA and of the historical New Haven County. Prospect is also a member of the regional health district Chesprocott, along with Cheshire and Wolcott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derby, Connecticut</span> City in Connecticut, United States

Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, approximately 8 miles (13 km) west-northwest of New Haven. It is located in southwest Connecticut at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck rivers. It shares borders with the cities of Ansonia to the north and Shelton to the southwest, and the towns of Orange to the south, Seymour to the northwest, and Woodbridge to the east. The city is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The population was 12,325 at the 2020 census. It is the smallest city in Connecticut by area, at 5.3 square miles (14 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Bridgeport</span> Metropolitan statistical area in Connecticut, United States

Stamford-Bridgeport-Norwalk is a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The area is located in Southwestern Connecticut. In its most conservative form the area consists of the city of Bridgeport and five surrounding towns—Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull. This definition of the Stamford area has a population of more than 305,000 and is within the Stamford -Bridgeport-Norwalk-Danbury metropolitan statistical area, which consists of all of Fairfield County, Connecticut. The estimated 2015 county population was 948,053. The area is numbered as part of the New York-Newark Combined Statistical Area NY-NJ-CT-PA by the United States Census Bureau.

Connecticut shares with the five other New England states a governmental structure known as the New England town. From 1666 to 1960, Connecticut had a system of county governments, which each had limited powers given to it by the General Assembly. They were abolished by Public Act 152 in 1960. Connecticut also had a system of sheriffs' offices until October 2000, when those were also abolished.

The U.S. State of Connecticut currently has nine statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated two combined statistical areas, five metropolitan statistical areas, and two micropolitan statistical areas in Connecticut. As of 2023, the largest of these in the state is the New Haven-Hartford-Waterbury, CT CSA, encompassing the entire state outside of the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA in the southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Naugatuck Valley</span> Place in Connecticut, United States

The Central Naugatuck Valley is a region of Connecticut in New Haven and Litchfield counties located approximately 70 miles (110 km) northeast of New York City and 110 miles (180 km) southwest of Boston, United States. The region comprises 13 towns: Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Greater Bridgeport Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Western Connecticut Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG), one of nine regional councils of governments in Connecticut. Within the region, there are two Metropolitan Planning Organizations, South Western CT MPO and the Housatonic Valley MPO.

References

  1. ↑ "Regional Planning Organizations RPO". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  2. ↑ "Regional Councils of Governments (RCOGs) in Connecticut". CT.gov. Office of Policy and Management. 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs) in Connecticut". Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Proposed Change to County Equivalents in Connecticut" (PDF). US Census Bureau.
  5. ↑ "Governor Lamont Announces U.S. Census Bureau Approves Proposal for Connecticut's Planning Regions To Become County Equivalents". Office of Governor Ned Lamont. 2022-06-06.
  6. ↑ "FBI — Violent Gang Task Forces". FBI.
  7. ↑ US DOT Metropolitan Planning Organization Database: "Connecticut Archived 2020-02-07 at the Wayback Machine ". Accessed 14 September 2015
  8. ↑ "CT’s Regional Planning Agencies Consolidate, Realign and Disappear" Archived 2015-09-20 at the Wayback Machine . CT By the Numbers, 5 October 2014. Accessed 14 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "Change to County-Equivalents in the State of Connecticut". Federal Register . Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  10. ↑ "Connecticut QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  11. ↑ "Profiles". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  12. 1 2 "Change to County-Equivalents in the State of Connecticut". Federal Register . June 6, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  13. ↑ "About CRCOG". Capitol Region Council of Governments. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "About Us". CCRPA. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  15. 1 2 "About Us". Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  16. ↑ "About Us". Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "About Us". Greater Bridgeport Regional Council. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "About Us". Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "About Us". Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "Who We Are". South Central Regional Council of Governments. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "About Us". Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "About Us". South Western Regional Planning Agency. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "Valley Council of Governments". Valley Council of Governments. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "About Us". Windham Region Council of Governments. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.

Notes

  1. ↑ All land in Connecticut is covered by an incorporated city or town. Planning region borders match constituent city and town borders. See Local government in Connecticut
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