Connecticut has no functional county government at all; it was formally abolished in 1960. Today its eight "counties" are geographic labels only, with no budget or elected officials attached. All local governance happens at the town level — Connecticut is fully divided into 169 towns and cities with no unincorporated land — each with its own government (commonly a Board of Selectmen and/or town or city council) and a town clerk who handles public records. For a meeting or records request, contact the town clerk or town hall directly, not a "county."

Most states rely on county government as a meaningful layer of local governance below the state level; Connecticut abolished county government entirely in 1960 and shifted those responsibilities to its town governments.