The Madison County Council of Governments (MCCOG) is a cooperative, county-wide planning organization, funded in part by Alexandria, Anderson, Elwood, Pendleton, and Madison County, Indiana. Our charter agreement was signed in May 1969 in recognition of the need for cross-community cooperation geared toward the solution of common problems faced throughout the county.
The prime purpose of the Council of Governments is to increase communication, cooperation, and coordination among local governments in planning and implementing programs to meet mutual challenges and problems. Each local government has the opportunity for involvement in policy making and programming of MCCOG.
The Council of Governments is advisory in nature and lacks the normal governmental powers of taxation, regulation, and operation of public facilities. Instead, its purpose is to provide a forum for dialogue and joint decision-making within a regional context. MCCOG has no direct power to implement these decisions. We must rely on the representatives of local governments to see that these decisions become a reality.
Nonetheless, the Council of Governments is an instrument of local government and the programs the agency undertakes are tailored to meet the specific needs of its member units of government.