NECCOG meetings press OPM regional boundary review as towns consider joining or switching COGs

Allan Walker, NECCOG chair, told a June 28 special meeting that NECCOG favored a proactive approach to regional reconfiguration and invited more than a dozen nearby towns to discuss membership options and boundaries. The discussion followed new state legislation and a study by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) on regional boundaries.

David LeVasseur, Acting Under Secretary in OPM’s Intergovernmental Policy Division, presented OPM’s timeline and said the office was, at that stage, only considering mergers of whole COGs rather than piecemeal town‑by‑town moves. His presentation prompted members to press for town choice and local control of any realignment.

Council members and guests said a larger COG could yield advantages — including higher state reimbursement rates for some projects — but also warned towns should retain a say in where they belong. First Selectman Daniel Syme (Scotland) said his town would hold a Sept. 12 town meeting to consider withdrawing from WINCOG and beginning the process to join NECCOG; several members repeated that towns should have the right to decide their affiliation.

NECCOG hosted follow‑up discussions in August and October and drafted formal input for state review. At the Oct. meeting council members also identified multiple Regional Performance Incentive (RPI) grant priorities that would rely on the region’s configuration if funding were approved.

The matter remains administrative: OPM’s study is advisory and, according to the presentation, any final designation will involve state decisions about region structure and eligibility for related funding programs.