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Welcome to the Town of Vernon
Vernon is a celebrated place to live, work and visit. From its beautiful parks and lakes, to its vast trails and historic homes and buildings, Vernon has it all. Vernon strives to be a resilient and collaborative community that promotes the health and well-being of its residents and values the natural environment. Vernon is a diverse community of nearly 30,000 people that combines a balanced appreciation of history and a strong economic base for residential and commercial growth.
Located 15 minutes east of the Connecticut capital of Hartford, and 25 miles from the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, the Town of Vernon is strategically placed in “New England's Knowledge Corridor” with close proximity to some of the top colleges and universities in the country, including the University of Connecticut, Trinity College and Wesleyan University.
Vernon is a diverse community and is accessible via public transit and Interstate 84. The Town of Vernon offers rural, suburban and urban living, and a short commute to either Hartford or Springfield.
The Town of Vernon is proud to offer a full range of services to residents and visitors, including extensive parks and recreational opportunities, a public school system that challenges students, a dynamic public library, highly trained police officers, EMTs and volunteer firefighters, as well as refuse and fall leaf collection. Government in Vernon works everyday to meet and exceed taxpayers' expectations by identifying and implementing the most efficient and value-added ways of providing high quality services, and practices a management philosophy of continuous improvement.
We hope you will find our new website to be a useful tool to explore our wonderful community. Like our management philosophy, we will continuously seek ways to expand and improve upon it. Please visit the site frequently to receive up to date information as well as view our upgrades and enhancements.
About the Town of Vernon
Vernon was originally part of the Town of Bolton, Connecticut. It was incorporated as a separate township in October 1808. Vernon contains the borough of Rockville, which was incorporated in January 1889. In 1965, the Town of Vernon consolidated with the City of Rockville and the Vernon Fire District and assumed all assets and liabilities of the two governmental units. Vernon also contains the smaller villages of Talcottville and Dobsonville. Since 1970, the Town has operated under a mayor-town council form of government. The annual budget and certain appropriations are approved by the town's electorate at a Town Meeting. Vernon is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 29,359 (estimated) in 2019.
Vernon's Town Charter and Code of Ordinances can be viewed by clicking here.
Notable residents
The Town of Vernon is the birthplace of former professional football player and four time Super Bowl champion Bill Romanowski. United States Senator and former Virginia governor Mark Warner was raised in Vernon. Singer and songwriter and 2002 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gene Pitney was raised in Rockville and began his musical career while a student at Rockville High School. Charles Ethan Porter (c. 1847-1923), a still life painter, moved to the Rockville section of Vernon as a child.
Vernon is also home to the New England Civil War Museum.
Government
The Mayor of Vernon is chief executive officer of the Town and vested with management of the Town's Government, its annual budget for all departments and agencies including the Board of Education, its finances, its employees and complying with rules, regulations and the law. The Mayor is elected for a two-year term. The Mayor's salary is set by the Town Council and affirmed by the voters at the Annual Town Meeting as part of the Town's budget.
The Town Council is the legislative body of the Town. The Council consists of 12 members elected to two-year terms. The powers and duties of the board of finance with respect to the board of education budget and financial program are exercised by the Town Council. Town Council members are not compensated for their service.
The Town must hold an Annual Town Meeting on its budget. The Annual Town Meeting is held for the consideration of the budget and is conducted on the fourth Tuesday in April at a time determined by the council. The annual town meeting is called to order by the Mayor. A moderator is then elected and all business is conducted in the manner provided for in chapter 90 of the Connecticut General Statutes, Revision of 1958, as amended. The Town Clerk serves as the clerk of the annual town meeting. The annual budget becomes effective only after it has been approved by a majority vote of those qualified voters present and voting at the Annual Town Meeting. Such vote may neither increase nor decrease the amount approved by the town council.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.1 square miles (46.8 km²), of which, 17.7 square miles (45.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (1.88%) is water. The Town of Vernon is located east of Hartford on Interstate 84 in north central Connecticut. Interstate 84 connects with I-90, I-384, I-91, and I-291. The convenient access provided by the interstate highway system has contributed to Vernon's development as a suburban community and a commercial center for neighboring towns. The former Rockville mills section has made a transition from being primarily an industrial and commercial center to being a professional and governmental center. It is the site of local government, education, and State of Connecticut courthouses and administrative offices.
Demographics
According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, there are 29,359 people and 13,039 households in Vernon. The population density was 1,622 people per square mile (626.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 79.3% White, 7.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 6.5% Asian, 10.6% Hispanic or Latino, and 2.8% from two or more races.
There were 13,039 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,816, and the median income for a family was $59,599. Males had a median income of $43,620 versus $31,515 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,150. About 4.1% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.