Rep. Joe Zullo Gets CT Council of Small Towns 'Town Crier' Award

EAST HAVEN, CT —East Haven State Representative Joe Zullo (R, 99) announced he has been selected by the Connecticut Council of Small Towns as a 2022 Town Crier Award recipient and will be recognized at COST’s annual Town Meeting in January 2023.

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 earned COST’S trust and recognition," Zullo was quoted as saying in a news release. "The COST organization is truly a champion for our small towns across the state, and it has been a privilege to work with advocates at COST in our State capitol to fight for policies that help small towns get ahead.”

The Connecticut Council of Small Towns describes itself as a "member-driven organization committed to giving Connecticut’s smaller communities a strong voice in the legislative process.”

Its executive director Elizabeth “Betsy” Gara said Zullo has been "very responsive in working with COST to address concerns facing small towns throughout Connecticut," according to the Zullo news release.

"In his role as Ranking Member of the legislature’s Planning & Development Committee, Rep. Zullo has proven to be a thoughtful and insightful legislator, recognizing how proposed legislation may impact the state’s smaller communities," Gara was quoted as saying.

According to Zullo, when COST announced he was an award winner, it noted that he has a “balanced approach to housing and development issues” and “efforts… defeating proposals that would have imposed rigid land use mandates on municipalities without consideration of local concerns.”

And, it was noted that Zullo’s support for legislation “promoting homeownership and supporting economic development initiatives” as factors contributing to his selection, the state rep said.

“Homeownership is the gateway to building wealth for working families and we don’t do enough here in Connecticut to help working families when it comes to homeownership," he said. "I have proposed and co-sponsored a myriad of legislation incentivizing homeownership and workforce housing for first-time homebuyers, first responders, and those in the trades because homeownership is not only a gateway for building wealth, but it promotes financial stability and independence. I am a believer in empowering working families and that housing is a key mechanism for achieving that aim.”