Representative Tony Scott Receives COST’s Town Crier Award for Defending Local Control
Key Takeaways
- Rep. Tony Scott honored for championing municipal authority and local decision-making.
- COST awards Town Crier to leaders who protect towns from state overreach.
- Scott credited with blocking measures that would limit local zoning and budgets.
- Award underscores GOP emphasis on local control and limited state intervention.
HARTFORD, CT – State Representative Tony Scott (R-Monroe) has been recognized as a recipient of this year’s Connecticut Council of Small Towns’ (COST) Town Crier Award. The award is presented to state lawmakers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and advocacy on issues about Connecticut’s towns.
The Town Crier Award is a replica of the town crier bell, which symbolizes the special efforts of honorees to spread the word and make the case for small town issues, according to COST.
“I am honored to have been recognized by the Connecticut Council of Small Towns for standing up for local control and the best interests of municipalities in Connecticut" said Rep. Scott. "The boards and commissions selected by town residents are the ones who know best how their communities can grow and thrive, rather than having to work within a state mandated, one-size-fits all approach."
Rep. Scott is the Ranking Member of the General Assembly's Housing Committee, and he has made a concerted effort to fight for preservation of local control for towns and cities. Over the last several years, he has made hours-long arguments on the House floor against attempts to force unrealistic and outlandish Fair Share housing unit mandates.
His ongoing work to amend 8-30g to grant communities greater discretion in building affordable housing includes redefining what exactly counts as affordable housing and have more types of units, like accessory dwelling units, count toward moratorium thresholds. The General Assembly will reconvene February 4, and Rep. Scott will be working on the issues he has identified to improve local housing options.
“I will continue to fight to protect local control, not only for Monroe, Easton, and Trumbull but for all towns in our state.”
Rep. Scott, Sen. Jeff Gordon and other legislators were presented with Town Crier Awards at COST's annual meeting on January 28, 2026, at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville, Connecticut.
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