Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 99 - Municipal Charters and Special Acts
Section 7-194. - Powers.

Subject to the provisions of section 7-192, all towns, cities or boroughs which have a charter or which adopt or amend a charter under the provisions of this chapter shall have the following specific powers in addition to all powers granted to towns, cities and boroughs under the Constitution and general statutes: To manage, regulate and control the finances and property, real and personal, of the town, city or borough and to regulate and provide for the sale, conveyance, transfer and release of town, city or borough property and to provide for the execution of contracts and evidences of indebtedness issued by the town, city or borough.

(1957, P.A. 465, S. 8; 1961, P.A. 490; 517, S. 89; 1967, P.A. 19; 1971, P.A. 802, S. 12; 1972, P.A. 279, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-516, S. 1, 2; P.A. 79-531, S. 2; 79-618, S. 2; P.A. 80-403, S. 8, 10; 80-483, S. 19, 186; P.A. 81-219, S. 2, 3.)
History: 1961 acts made section applicable to municipalities having a charter as well as those which adopted or amended a charter under provisions of this chapter and amended Subdiv. (50) to remove obsolete exception for court officers; 1967 act amended Subdiv. (57) to raise maximum penalty from $25 to $100; 1971 act repealed Subdiv. (41) re building code regulation; 1972 act added Subdiv. (58) re merit and civil service systems; P.A. 75-516 added Subdiv. (59) re leasing real property; P.A. 79-531 added Subdivs. (60) and (61) re fair housing and data processing services; P.A. 79-618 added Subdiv. (62) re ethics code; P.A. 80-403 added Subdiv. (63) re discriminatory practices; P.A. 80-483 made technical changes; P.A. 81-219 transferred most powers from this section to Sec. 7-148, effective October 1, 1982.
Cited. 147 C. 60. Where charter points out particular way in which act is to be done, prescribed form must be pursued for act to be lawful. Id., 401. If charter of city grants, in general terms, power to take any land necessary to layout of highways, it is to be presumed, in absence of express words or necessary implication to the contrary, that it was not intended land already appropriated to one public use should be taken for another. Id., 478. Language in charters varies so that cases involving construction of some charters are not authoritative in determining power under others. 148 C. 233. Cited. 152 C. 422. Court held ordinances attempted to regulate public service company and were in conflict with state policy; New Haven and Hamden ordinances requiring private water company, which also served 11 other towns, to fluoridate the water it supplied them held invalid. Id., 563, 566. Ability of board of education to perform its statutory duties not destroyed by requirement that it select nonprofessional employees under civil service requirements of charter. Id., 568. A town, as a creature of the state, can exercise only such powers as are expressly granted to it, or such powers as are necessary to enable it to discharge the duties and carry into effect the objects and purposes of its creation. 153 C. 236. Regulation and disposal of refuse and garbage is town power and refuse disposal operation is not a nuisance where not in arbitrary or unreasonable manner. 156 C. 304. Cited. 158 C. 100; 162 C. 497; 171 C. 78. Town has broad authority to control traffic on its public streets which includes the closing thereof to vehicular traffic. 174 C. 282. That the legislature went to the extent of precisely enumerating numerous specific powers without mentioning subpoena power indicates it did not intend to grant municipalities such a power by way of charter adoption; former Subdiv. (26) did not authorize a municipality to grant its governing or legislative body the power to issue subpoenas. 180 C. 243. “Regulate” connotes the power to permit and control as well as to prohibit and infers limitations. 181 C. 114. Cited. 182 C. 253. Adoption of equal opportunities ordinance was valid exercise of Home Rule Act, but former Subdiv. (25) did not authorize municipality to create commission to resolve employment discrimination complaints. 183 C. 495. Cited. 185 C. 88; 186 C. 229; 188 C. 276; 193 C. 1; 196 C. 623; 203 C. 267; 208 C. 543; 237 C. 135; 241 C. 678.
Cited. 1 CA 417; 42 CA 599.
Omission of zoning powers from enumeration of specific powers granted towns under statute compels conclusion that legislature did not intend that any action under chapter should alter the declared law under the general zoning enabling act. 25 CS 378, 379. Cited. 31 CS 447; 34 CS 14. Former Subdiv. (58) provided authority to establish a merit or civil service system for selection and promotion; also contained implied power to establish a personnel appeals board. 35 CS 645. Cited. 36 CS 74; 37 CS 124.

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