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Commission History
The Southwestern Commission was created in November 1965 by concurrent, joint resolution of the counties and municipalities within the seven county region. In was within this same time period that COGs all across the U.S. were formed. Initially, the driving factor behind this movement was money. Between the 1965 and 1975 state legislatures and the US Congress created thousands of grant-in-aid programs, totaling billions of dollars in funds available to local governments. Funds were appropriated for water supplies, sewer systems, housing, solid waste, emergency medicine, juvenile delinquency, recreation, health care, law enforcement, economic development, job training, senior citizens services and a plethora of other purposes.
Local governments needed state and federal aid. State and federal legislators desired to prevent duplication and mismanagement of the local projects and services they funded, while state and federal auditors demanded that the grants be administered properly. Of the hundreds of conditions imposed on grants, the most universal were (and remain today) the requirements that applicants demonstrate partnership, economy-of-scale, regionalism, efficiency, leveraging, intergovernmental cooperation and written proof that a high priority was (is) placed on engaging in joint ventures with neighboring local units.
In the 1960s, few forums existed anywhere in the nation with a stated mission of ensuring that these specific objectives could and would be seriously addressed. And, nobody was in business – privately or publicly – to provide grant management services. Accordingly, the Southwestern Commission (and all COGs nationwide) was initially created with the primary intent of assisting member governments in their pursuit of state and federal money. The Commission’s original bylaws state that the organization’s objectives were: “…to develop regional plans and funding of programs on matters affecting …human resources, education, housing, health, transportation, criminal justice, recreation…environment, open space, land use…water supplies and sewer systems…and in other matters as authorized…”
Much has changed in the public sector since the 1960s, and COGs have adapted their services to meet these changes. The Southwestern Commission still provides a single organization thru which its member local governments can obtain funds from numerous sources, but federal and state grants now represent a much smaller share of project revenue. Many current local government projects have zero federal or state grant funds included in their budgets, with loans (both public and private), non-profit grants, and philanthropic foundations collectively becoming the more dominant resources.
Local project administration is still a primary service of the Southwestern Commission, although the nature of this has changed. Rapidly improving technological capabilities have streamlined the process of grant administration to where much less driving, postage, and paper are required. Intergovernmental cooperation is still a major focus, and despite the internet, face-to-face meetings remain important. Most staff has been trained as professional facilitators, and the Commission actively assists with conflict resolution and dispute mediation. Our primary “new century” currency is relationship capital.
In addition to changes in government funding, administrative procedures, and facilitation methods, the region has changed as well. Southwestern North Carolina continues to change rapidly, and as the population increases, so does demand on local government to provide the needed services and infrastructure. The Southwestern Commission has stayed on the leading edge of this growth, providing expertise in land use planning to ensure that regional growth occurs in a healthy and sustainable manner. The changing environment in the region affects all aspects of the local communities, and the Commission remains dedicated to providing services in economic and workforce development and assistance to the elderly.
The Southwestern Commission was created in November 1965 by concurrent, joint resolution of the counties and municipalities within the seven county region. In was within this same time period that COGs all across the U.S. were formed. Initially, the driving factor behind this movement was money. Between the 1965 and 1975 state legislatures and the US Congress created thousands of grant-in-aid programs, totaling billions of dollars in funds available to local governments. Funds were appropriated for water supplies, sewer systems, housing, solid waste, emergency medicine, juvenile delinquency, recreation, health care, law enforcement, economic development, job training, senior citizens services and a plethora of other purposes.
Local governments needed state and federal aid. State and federal legislators desired to prevent duplication and mismanagement of the local projects and services they funded, while state and federal auditors demanded that the grants be administered properly. Of the hundreds of conditions imposed on grants, the most universal were (and remain today) the requirements that applicants demonstrate partnership, economy-of-scale, regionalism, efficiency, leveraging, intergovernmental cooperation and written proof that a high priority was (is) placed on engaging in joint ventures with neighboring local units.
In the 1960s, few forums existed anywhere in the nation with a stated mission of ensuring that these specific objectives could and would be seriously addressed. And, nobody was in business – privately or publicly – to provide grant management services. Accordingly, the Southwestern Commission (and all COGs nationwide) was initially created with the primary intent of assisting member governments in their pursuit of state and federal money. The Commission’s original bylaws state that the organization’s objectives were: “…to develop regional plans and funding of programs on matters affecting …human resources, education, housing, health, transportation, criminal justice, recreation…environment, open space, land use…water supplies and sewer systems…and in other matters as authorized…”
Much has changed in the public sector since the 1960s, and COGs have adapted their services to meet these changes. The Southwestern Commission still provides a single organization thru which its member local governments can obtain funds from numerous sources, but federal and state grants now represent a much smaller share of project revenue. Many current local government projects have zero federal or state grant funds included in their budgets, with loans (both public and private), non-profit grants, and philanthropic foundations collectively becoming the more dominant resources.
Local project administration is still a primary service of the Southwestern Commission, although the nature of this has changed. Rapidly improving technological capabilities have streamlined the process of grant administration to where much less driving, postage, and paper are required. Intergovernmental cooperation is still a major focus, and despite the internet, face-to-face meetings remain important. Most staff has been trained as professional facilitators, and the Commission actively assists with conflict resolution and dispute mediation. Our primary “new century” currency is relationship capital.
In addition to changes in government funding, administrative procedures, and facilitation methods, the region has changed as well. Southwestern North Carolina continues to change rapidly, and as the population increases, so does demand on local government to provide the needed services and infrastructure. The Southwestern Commission has stayed on the leading edge of this growth, providing expertise in land use planning to ensure that regional growth occurs in a healthy and sustainable manner. The changing environment in the region affects all aspects of the local communities, and the Commission remains dedicated to providing services in economic and workforce development and assistance to the elderly.