The First Selctman is the chief executive officer of town government. She presides over the Board of Selectmen and…More retains an ex-officio seat on all municipal boards and commission.</p> <p>Pat Ilodra, a former school district administrator , Board of Education and Legislative Council member, was elected Newtown's first selectman in 2009.</p>

The Assesor's office is charged with keeping the records of property owners and valuing real estate, vehicles and…More personal property.</p> <p>There are nearly 11,000 private real estate accounts, 1,900 personal property and more than 26,000 motor vehicles on the tax rolls. Chris Kelsey is the town's assessor.</p>

Comprised of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Commission, the land use…More agencies are responsible for enforcing land use regulations, processing zoning and wetland permits and answering questions from the public and others.</p> <p>George Benson is the director of planning and land use.</p>

The building department is responsible for processing permits and inspecting construction work for compliance with…More state statutes.</p> <p>John Poeltl is the chief building official.</p>

The office manages and maintains records on the town's finances and provides information to municipal agencies so…More that they can make well-informed decisions, according to the department's mission.</p> <p>The department also plays an important part during budget season, preparing reports and gathering and providing financial information that may be requested.</p>

The Social Services department oversees entitlement programs for town residents, such as the Connecticut Energy…More Assistance Program, Operation Fuel, Renters Rebate program for the elderly and disabled and The Salvation Army Emergency Food Pantry.</p> <p>The agency also provides referrals, case management and other support services.</p> <p>Ann Piccini is the social services director.</p>

The health district serves Newtown, Bridgewater and Roxbury and is charged with conducting restaurant inspections,…More approving construction plans as it relates to well and septic tank locations, tick testing, public swimming pool and beach water testing, monitoring air quality, providing human health and environmental health education, disseminating information on seasonal flu and viruses and other health related services.</p> <p>Donna Culbert is the health district director.</p>

The Economic and Community Development Office works on community development projects and economic development…More activities, including strategies to market and lure certain projects, such as the former Fairfield Hills Hospital campus.</p> <p>The office director also oversees the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant and acts as the Newtown Fair Housing officer.</p> <p>The Economic and Community Development Director is Elizabeth Stocker.</p>

The office is responsible for inspecting buildings in town, with the exception of one and two-family dwellings,…More investigating fires, issuing blasting permits and conducting site visits, reviewing construction plans for fire safety and reviewing subdivision plans.</p> <p>The fire marshal's office has an administrative assistant, five part-time deputy marshals and a full time fire marshal.</p> <p>The town fire marshal is Bill Halstead. He also is chief of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Co.</p>

First opened in November 2009, the municipal center is home to several key town departments. The center was formerly…More known as Bridgeport Hall, a hospital building back when Fairfield Hills operated as a state mental health institution.</p> <p>The center also is the venue for many town hearings at night, including that of the legislative council.</p> <p>The list of departments based at the Municipal Center: Assessor, Board of Education, Building Department, Legislative Council, Finance, Fire Marshal, First Selectman's Office, Health District, Human Resources, IT Department, Land Use, Registrar of Voters, Special Education, Tax Collector, Town Clerk, Judge of Probate, Economic and Community Development</p>

The registrars office is charged with assisting Newtown residents register to vote and maintain rolls of taxpayers.…More The office also recruits and trains election workers.</p> <p>The office has extended hours as the election nears. During a referendum, the only polling place is at the Newtown Middle School.</p> <p>The Republicn Registrar of Voters is Karin Aurelia and her Democratic counterpart is LeReine Frampton.</p>

The Parks & Recreation Department oversees town parks, swimming facilities, and ball fields, as well as runs…More several activities, including summer day camps, and youth and adult lessons.</p> <p>Among the properties the department manages are the ball fields, playgrounds and other amenities at Treadwell Memorial Park. Dickinson Memorial Park, Lake Lillinonah Park, Orchard Hill Nature Center, and Eichler's Cove Marina.</p> <p>Registration and information for spring and summer programs can be found online <a href="https://webtrac.newtown-ct.gov">here</a>.</p>

Public Works oversees more than 117 miles of roadway, the transfer station (former landfill), town garage and sewer…More system, as well as provides maintenance and engineering services.</p> <p>The public works Web site gives a concise rundown of their activites:</p> <p>Some major functions include snow plowing and sanding during winter storms; emergency road repairs, and fallen tree removal; design, engineering and management of contracted road and building projects; management of solid waste and recyclable collection and disposal; management of town vehicles; installations, replacement or repair of over eight miles of storm drainage; installation, reconstruction and maintenance of more than 2,000 catch basins; full department reclamation and repaving of more than fourteen miles of roads; repairs and replacement of guide rail posts and cables; the repair, replacement and installation of various street and traffic control signs.</p>

The fire company was founded in 1925, the third of five independent volunteer fire companies in town. The comapny and…More Dodgingtown respond to the fewest number of calls in Newtown.</p> <p>Company meetings are held at 8pm on the first Monday of each month. An officer's meeting is held on the second Monday and two drills are scheduled for every month.</p>

Residents are allowed to bring trash and recyclable materials to the site six days a week.

Yearly, monthly and…More daily passes must be purchased in order to use the transfer station. Additional fees may apply depending on the material, such as large trees and stumps and demolition material.</p> <p>The recycling center is open free of charge to residents. The town additionally provides weekly pickup of recycling materials, such as certain plastics, metal and glass food containers, newspapers, cardboard from residents' homes.</p>

Forty-seven sworn officers, including the chief and captain, work at the Newtown Police Department. The force has…More grown considerably from 1971 when there were only 17 officers.</p> <p>"As the town has grown, traffic and traffic safety has consistently ranked as the most pressing quality of life concern among residents," Police Chief Michael Kehoe says. To address concerns about trucks driving through town, the department has an officer trained to conduct commercial vehicle inspections.</p> <p>Kehoe says the department receives a large number of applications from people wanting to be police officers, and as a result it can be selective.</p>

The Botsford company was established in 1949, the last of the five independent volunteer fire organizations that…More exist in town. The yellowish lime-green color of the company's apparatus distinguishes it from the others.</p> <p>The company was among the first in the town to purchase air packs for its firefighters and was the first to buy a brush fire truck, a specially designed pickup truck used to fight grass and brush fires.</p> <p>The company also rents the second floor of its station for use as a dance studio.</p>

The Hook and Ladder fire station sits behind the Edmond Town Hall and is the oldest fire company in the town, tracing…More its beginings to the 19th century. The fire company, one of five independent firefighting organizations in town, was established by charter in 1883.</p> <p>Hook and Ladder is one of the busier fire houses in town, second only to Sandy Hook in terms of call volume, which can include fires, motor vehicle accidents and some medical situations.</p> <p>In 1956, the fire company was one of the earliest in the state to adopt the plectron home alerting system, similar to today's paging system. In 1978 it purchased its first Hurst tool or "Jaws of Life," which is used to extricate trapped motor vehicle occupants. In 1978, it purchased its first 5-inch diamter hose, which was used with the pumper truck that arrived shortly afterward. In 1998, it purchased its first thermal imaging camera.</p>

The Sandy Hook fire company was formally established in 1938, and among the five independent volunteer companies in…More town, that responds to most of the calls. The company has 75 regular members and eight in the junior corp. There also is a Ladies Auxiliary support group for the company.</p> <p>It is the only fire company in town with two stations—the main one at 18-20 Riverside Rd. and a substation at 249 Berkshire Rd. The fire chief is Bill Halstead, who also is the town's fire marshal and a former fire chief at Fairfield Hills Hospital during the time the institution was opened.</p> <p>Volunteers meet twice a month, the second Sunday and fourth Monday. Classes are frequently held in topics, such as ice rescue, rope rescue and medical response.</p>