What Is a Council of Governments?

A Council of Governments (COG), or Regional
Council, is a public organization  encompassing
a multi-jurisdictional regional community. A COG
serves the local governments and the citizens
in the region by dealing with issues and needs
that cross city, town, county and even state
boundaries. Mechanisms used to address 
these issues may include communication,
planning, policymaking, coordination,  advocacy
and technical assistance.

Why are there COGs in the United States?

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, emphasis
was increasingly placed on the need for long-
range planning and closer coordination of
program activities by governments at all levels.
Federal requirements for planning in areas such
as transportation, the environment and human
services furthered this need. The 
establishment of COGs emerged as the preferred
approach to this need in many areas

Arizona Councils of Government

In Arizona, there are six COGs. Through an Executive Order, the planning boundaries were established by Governor Jack Williams in 1970 in response to  federal planning requirements and in an effort to achieve uniformity in various planning areas. COGs, as voluntary associations, have formed within these  planning boundaries. In the urban areas, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and the Pima Association of Governments are the regional agencies which  also serve as the designated metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) for transportation planning. In the rural areas of Arizona, the COGs perform planning services and direct service functions such as operating the Area Agency  on Aging, the Head Start programs and employment programs.