Other types of municipalities in New England New England town

1 other types of municipalities in new england

1.1 cities
1.2 plantations
1.3 boroughs , villages

other types of municipalities in new england

towns basic building block of new england municipality system, although several other types of municipalities exist. every new england state has cities. in addition, maine has unique type of entity called plantation. beneath town level, connecticut has incorporated boroughs, , vermont has incorporated villages.

cities

in addition towns, every new england state has incorporated cities. however, cities treated in same manner towns under state law, differing towns in form of government. cities former towns changed city form of government because grew large administered town meeting. however, distinction has become blurred in recent years. cities typically governed mayor (and/or city manager) , city council or other similar arrangement. in common speech, people generically refer communities of either type towns , drawing no distinction between two.

the presence of incorporated boroughs in connecticut , incorporated villages in vermont has influenced evolution of cities in states. in connecticut in particular, historical development of cities quite different in other new england states, , @ least technically, relationship between towns , cities today different elsewhere in new england. boroughs in connecticut overlay towns, cities; example, while hartford commonly thought of city, coextensive , consolidated town of hartford; governed single governmental entity powers , responsibilities of town being carried out entity referred city of hartford. in legal theory though not in current practice connecticut cities , boroughs coextensive (covering same geography town) without being consolidated (a single government); borough or city can span more 1 town. in practice, though, cities in connecticut today not function differently counterparts elsewhere in new england. see section below on boroughs , villages more background on topic.

there far fewer cities in new england there towns, although cities more common in heavily built-up areas, , of largest municipalities in region titled cities. across new england whole, 5% of incorporated municipalities cities. cities more common in 3 southern new england states, more densely populated, in 3 northern new england states. in colonial times, incorporated municipalities in new england towns; there no cities. springfield, massachusetts, instance, settled plantation (in colonial massachusetts, term synonymous town) 1636, city of springfield not established until 1852.

the oldest cities in new england date last few decades of 18th century, (e.g. new haven, connecticut chartered city in 1784). in new england, cities not widespread until 19th century. new hampshire did not have cities until 1840s, , many years prior 1860s vermont had 1 city. massachusetts, historically new england s populous state, did not have cities until 1822, when boston granted city form of government state legislature.

population not determination in makes city or town in new england , there many examples of towns have larger populations nearby cities. practical threshold become city seems higher in 3 southern new england states in 3 northern new england states. in massachusetts, connecticut , rhode island, every city has @ least 10,000 people, , there few have fewer 20,000. in maine, new hampshire , vermont, there number of cities fewer 10,000 people, couple fewer 5,000.

over time, of distinctions between town , city have become blurred. since 20th century, towns have been allowed modify town meeting form of government in various ways (e.g., representative town meeting, adding town manager). in recent decades, towns have adopted amount city forms of government, although still refer towns. practical matter, 1 municipality calls town , calls city may have same governmental structure. these changes in town government, reluctance adopt title of city seems have developed, , few towns have officially done since 20th century. in massachusetts, 13 municipalities (agawam, amesbury, barnstable, braintree, easthampton, franklin, greenfield, palmer, randolph, southbridge, watertown, west springfield , weymouth) have adopted mayor-council or council-manager forms of government in home rule charters, nevertheless continue call towns , although legally considered cities secretary of commonwealth s office , referred in legislation , other legal documents city known town of ... . extent, whether or not community labeled city related more how large relative general population century ago how large population today.

plantations

in addition towns , cities, maine has third type of town-like municipality not found in other new england state, plantation. plantation is, in essence, town-like community not have enough population require full town government or services. plantations organized @ county level, , typically found in sparsely populated areas. there no bright-line population divider between town , plantation, no plantation has more 300 residents. plantations considered organized not incorporated. not counties have them; in southern counties, territory sufficiently populated covered town or city.

in colonial times, massachusetts used term plantation community in pre-town stage of development (maine got term massachusetts, maine part of massachusetts until 1820, when became state via missouri compromise). term plantation had not been used in massachusetts since 18th century. massachusetts once had districts, served same purpose. considered incorporated, lacked full privileges of town. maine , rhode island known have made limited use of district concept. districts have not been @ common since first half of 19th century, , there have not been districts anywhere in new england in on century. maine new england state has significant amount of territory not sufficiently populated support town governments, new england state still has need plantation type of municipality.

for historical example in new hampshire, see plantation number four.

boroughs , villages

perhaps because towns such strong entities, areas of new england never developed municipal forms based on compact populated place concept. contrasts states civil townships, typically have extensive networks of villages or boroughs carve out or overlay townships.

two of new england states have general-purpose municipalities of type, however, @ least limited extent. connecticut has incorporated boroughs, , vermont has incorporated villages. such areas remain part of parent town, assume responsibilities municipal services within boundaries. in both states, typically regarded less important towns, , both seem in decline institutions. in recent decades, many boroughs , villages have disincorporated, reverting full town control.

the term village used in new england describe distinct, built-up place within town or city. may town center, bears same name town or city (almost every town has such place), or name related of town, or unrelated name. town of barnstable, massachusetts, example, includes villages called barnstable, west barnstable, , hyannis. except incorporated villages in vermont, these villages not incorporated municipalities , should not understood such. towns grant measure of recognition such areas, using highway signs identify them villages , example. these informal villages correspond underlying special-purpose districts such fire or water districts, separately incorporated quasi-municipal entities provide specific services within part of town. (in maine , new hampshire, term village corporation used type of special-purpose district.) many villages recognized places united states postal service (some villages have own post offices, names used in mailing addresses) or united states census bureau (which recognizes villages census-designated places , tabulates census data them). towns example of former, such richmond, rhode island, not have post office themselves, instead use villages in town or villages in nearby towns mailing address. leads weaker town identification in such towns, residents more identifying village live in. however, villages or cdps have no existence general-purpose municipalities separate town (if have legal existence @ all), , regarded local residents part of town in located, less important whole.

it possible connecticut borough or vermont village become city. in connecticut, cities overlay towns boroughs do, and, borough, city can cover portion of town rather being coextensive town. rare today—only 1 or 2 examples remain—but more common in past. @ least 1 borough historically spanned more 1 town: borough of danielsonville laid on parts of killingly , brooklyn, until brooklyn portion petitioned reorganized fire district , concurrently killingly portion renamed danielson general assembly. there no legal restrictions in connecticut prevent city or borough today overlaying territory of more 1 town, provided not consolidated 1 of underlying towns. cities developed earlier in connecticut in other new england states, , based on borough concept. @ 1 time, cities non-coextensive; practice of making cities coextensive towns later adaptation intended mimic city concept had emerged in other new england states. on time, many non-coextensive cities have expanded become coextensive parent town. boroughs, many have disincorporated , reverted full town control. these 2 trends have combined make non-coextensive cities rare in recent times.

in vermont, if village becomes city, not continue overlay parent town, breaks away , becomes separate municipality. cities in vermont today former villages rather former towns, , smaller typical town in terms of land area. above process has created several instances there adjacent towns , cities same name. in cases, city town center of town, later incorporated city , became separate municipality.