Politics & Government

O'Neill Gets Award for 'Leadership Representing Smaller Communities'

The Connecticut Council of Small Towns presents its "Town Crier" award to Southbury's state representative.

A press release issued Feb. 25 by the Connecticut Council of Small Towns:

State Rep. Arthur O’Neill (R-Bridgewater, Roxbury, Southbury and Washington) received a Town Crier Award from the Connecticut Council of Small Towns (COST) for his leadership on issues affecting Connecticut’s smaller communities.

COST’s Town Crier Award was established to recognize and honor state legislators and other public officials who have distinguished themselves as outstanding advocates on issues affecting Connecticut’s small towns.

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“Rep. O’Neill has been awarded COST’s Town Crier Award for his leadership role in farmland preservation and for his efforts to address municipal concerns regarding the siting of industrial sized wind turbines. In addition, Rep. O’Neill has been a longtime advocate in support of the Resident State Trooper program and in providing towns with much-needed relief from unfunded state mandates,” said Betsy Gara, Executive Director of COST.

“We are proud to present Rep. O’Neill with COST’s Town Crier Award,” said Barbara Henry, COST’s Past President and First Selectman of Roxbury.

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“Rep. O’Neill is very responsive to the needs of the communities he serves as well as to concerns facing small towns throughout Connecticut,” Henry added. “We appreciate his longstanding commitment to fighting for Connecticut’s small towns.”

The award was presented at COST’s 2014 Connecticut Town Meeting held in Cromwell, which was attended by more than 350 municipal leaders, public officials and state lawmakers.

This year’s other recipient was Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra.

The Connecticut Council of Small Towns (COST) is an advocacy organization committed to giving small towns a strong voice in the legislative process. Its members are Connecticut towns with populations of less than 30,000.


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