Erie Area Council of Governments is evidence of how regional cooperation can pay off

A.J. Rao, Erie Times-News
·4 min read

Working together is better than going it alone.

That's the driving spirit of the Erie Area Council of Governments, a voluntary association of Erie County municipalities that fosters inter-governmental collaboration.

Founded in 1993, the organization — often referred to as the C.O.G. — is comprised, to date, of delegates from 24 of the county's 38 municipalities, including the city of Erie and the county government.

As C.O.G. Executive Director Michelle Jaggi put it, collaboration on this scale not only facilitates communication among the municipalities but helps leverage resources, reduce duplication and decrease costs.

So how does it work?

Erie Area Council of Governments Executive Director Michelle Jaggi on Aug. 8, 2022.
Erie Area Council of Governments Executive Director Michelle Jaggi on Aug. 8, 2022.

Becoming a member of C.O.G.

To join the C.O.G., a municipality must approve a resolution to do so and complete a membership application, which can be found on the C.O.G. website, erieareacog.org.

Each municipality is required to pay annual dues as a member. Dues are calculated based on a municipality's population. The bulk of the C.O.G. budget — $113,150 in fiscal year 2022 — comes from these dues.

Each municipality selects a delegate as its representative. These delegates participate in nine public C.O.G. meetings a year — held online or in a particular municipality — and discuss regional projects and priorities, or areas where acting collectively can produce a better outcome than acting separately.

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Erie County Vice-Chairperson Mary Rennie, who represents the county government as a C.O.G. delegate, said the C.O.G. allows for "the best of both worlds," where municipalities can still have their autonomy but also enjoy the "efficiencies and effectiveness of shared and consolidated purchasing and partnerships."

"Sometimes it's just as simple as being able to talk with other municipal leaders that are struggling with the same sorts of practical issues and problems that you yourself have," she added.

Delegates select four officers: a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

Jaggi, as executive director, is the only C.O.G. staff member, and shares office space with the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development, located next to the Blasco Library.

Benefits of joining C.O.G.

By working together as a collective, municipalities, regardless of their size, can become more competitive for state and federal grants.

"It helps smaller municipalities have a bigger voice at the table because they're able to leverage themselves with larger municipalities like the city of Erie or even the county of Erie," Jaggi said.

In addition, C.O.G. members can enjoy significant savings from bulk pricing and bid process administration.

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Jaggi cited how municipalities are joining together via the C.O.G. to seek grants to conduct a countywide broadband feasibility study, which will provide a roadmap for high-speed internet projects throughout Erie County.

“Projects such as high-speed internet infrastructure do not stop at municipal lines,” Jaggi said of the feasibility study. “It makes sense for municipalities to work together in order to prevent duplication of work and more efficiently tackle problems which effect Erie County as a whole.”

Members not only get to collectively negotiate for services and collectively compete for grants but they also get access to an array of training workshops, where speakers can discuss topics such as economic development or comprehensive planning. Non-members can also attend but must pay the full workshop registration fee. Members get a discounted rate.

The C.O.G. also has an IT support program, which assists members with website and social media development and other tech support services.

The C.O.G. has expanded

The expansion of the C.O.G. has been evident in recent years. In 2015, the association had only nine members. Today, it has 24.

Members are the boroughs of:

  • Albion

  • Cranesville

  • Edinboro

  • Girard

  • Union City

  • Wesleyville

And the townships of:

  • Amity

  • Fairview

  • Franklin

  • Greene

  • Greenfield

  • Girard

  • Harborcreek

  • Lawrence Park

  • LeBoeuf

  • Millcreek

  • Northeast

  • Springfield

  • Summit

  • Union

  • Venango

  • Waterford

The city of Erie and the county government of Erie are also members.

Jaggi said municipalities can determine whether the benefits of membership are right for them, all municipalities are welcome.

"Even if they aren't members, they're still invited to the table for projects, like joint purchasing, they just pay a different rate," she said.

For more information on C.O.G., visit erieareacog.org.

A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Area Council of Governments embraces, fosters collaboration