The Glue that Binds Better Together: A Conversation with Pennsylvania's Councils of Government

What happens when municipalities stop trying to solve every problem alone?

In this episode, members of the Pennsylvania Councils of Government explore how intermunicipal cooperation creates capacity, improves services and helps communities learn from one another. Patrick Conners of South Hills COG, Ben Estell of Centre Region COG, Lance Prator of Slate Belt COG, and Deborah Grass of PACOG share examples ranging from joint purchasing and shared equipment to regional parks, bike networks, planning and public safety.

The conversation also looks at why COGs remain poorly understood, how cooperation can preserve local identity while expanding capacity, and why PACOG hopes to strengthen the statewide voice of councils of government.

The episode previews PACOG’s September 1-2 conference in State College, themed “Better Together.”

CHAPTERS:

• 00:00 — Introduction
• 02:36 — What Is a Council of Government?
• 05:45 — Centre Region: Consistency Across Municipal Borders
• 09:56 — Small Communities, Shared Capacity
• 13:39 — What Municipalities Gain from Working Together
• 16:54 — Sharing Ideas and Not Reinventing the Wheel
• 18:36 — Building Networks Across Municipal Borders
• 20:47 — Cooperation, Consistency and Fairness
• 23:31 — Creating Places to Solve Problems Together
• 25:47 — Think Globally, Act Locally
• 27:12 — What PACOG Brings to the Table
• 31:28 — Learning From Other COGs
• 32:58 — Who Should Be Paying Attention to COGs?
• 34:34 — Building a Statewide Voice
• 37:34 — Why Some Municipalities Hold Back
• 43:00 — Making COGs More Visible
• 44:53 — PACOG Conference Preview: Better Together
• 48:13 — What Everyone Is Looking Forward To