About Cost

"The Voice of Small Towns at the State Capitol"

The Connecticut Council of Small Towns (COST) is a member-driven organization committed to giving Connecticut’s smaller communities a strong voice in the legislative process. COST champions the interests of small towns at the state Capitol and provides resources to help municipal leaders meet the challenges they face as chief executives of the state’s 142 smaller communities.

What Sets Us Apart

Founded in 1975, COST is the state’s only organization dedicated exclusively to the interests of Connecticut’s smaller towns. COST marshals the collective talent, experience and vision of municipal leaders to help shape public policies in ways that help Connecticut’s smaller communities provide critical services to residents.

Join COST Advocates

Join COST in advocating for Connecticut’s small towns! As one lawmaker commented, "COST has given 'Small Town Connecticut' a unified voice in Hartford that positively influences public policies for Connecticut’s 142 smaller towns."

And our members agree — "COST is highly regarded at the state Capitol as a strong and effective voice for Connecticut’s smaller communities. It provides town leaders with an important forum in making sure that our priority concerns are understood and addressed at the state Capitol," said Tom Dunn, Mayor, Town of Wolcott.

As a grassroots organization, COST works with its members to advocate on issues that are most important to Connecticut’s small towns. Working together, we have been successful in fighting to preserve state aid to municipalities and in winning passage of key initiatives, such as the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP). In addition, we have rallied town leaders to help defeat bills that would be detrimental to small towns.

Make Your Voice Heard

• Participate in COST's Legislative Committee meetings;
• Testify/submit testimony at public hearings on key issues;
• Attend meetings with state lawmakers;
• Host a legislative meeting in your town;
• Contact your legislative delegation on priority issues.