[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 23]
[EXTENS]
[Page 31957]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE CONNECTICUT COUNCIL OF SMALL TOWNS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 15, 2009

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Connecticut 
Council of Small Towns (COST) for celebrating its 35th anniversary. 
Several Connecticut town leaders founded COST in 1975 to provide a 
strong voice for the state's smaller municipalities in both our State's 
and the Nation's capital.
  COST is a grassroots advocacy organization comprised of nearly 120 
member municipalities. The organization offers valuable information and 
training resources to help municipal leaders meet the challenges they 
face as chief executives of Connecticut's smaller non-metro and 
suburban areas. It is the only organization dedicated solely to the 
interests of Connecticut's small suburban and rural municipalities.
  Through meetings, conferences, and events, COST brings together the 
leaders of small towns with legislators to foster discussion about 
issues that are most important to Connecticut's small communities. The 
organization provides information to towns regarding public policy and 
pending legislation, and how they will affect small towns and their 
citizens.
  COST members benefit from connecting with other municipal leaders 
across the State, sharing ideas, and discussing the similar challenges 
that they face. Participating municipalities save money by working 
collectively to advocate for State and Federal aid to towns in 
Connecticut.
  I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in honoring the 
Connecticut Council of Small Towns in celebrating its anniversary. Many 
of COST's member towns reside within my district in eastern Connecticut 
and highly regard the organization for providing a voice for them in 
all levels of government. We thank COST for its service and look 
forward to working with the organization in the future to help 
Connecticut's communities succeed.

                          ____________________