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EMCOGEast Michigan Council of Governments

Membership

EMCOG is a voluntary association of local governments in east central Michigan. Members fund its work, vote on its direction, and receive its services at the member rate.

How to applyCurrent members

What members get

  • A vote on regional decisions

    A dues-paying county seats two members and two alternates on the Full Council. The Council adopts the regional work program, the budget, and the economic development strategy that federal funding is awarded against.

  • Data and analysis at no charge

    Member governments, and non-profits based in a member county, receive data and analysis from EMCOG staff at no charge. Non-members pay a fee that covers staff time.

  • Planning services at the member rate

    Master plans, zoning, recreation plans, hazard mitigation and wildfire protection plans, prepared by EMCOG staff at the lower rate available to members.

  • Support for grant applications

    EMCOG reviews members' projects against the regional goals and the economic development strategy, and writes letters of support or consistency on request.

Data requests follow the EMCOG Data Access Policy (2023, PDF).

Who can join

Counties
Any of the fourteen counties in the region. When a county joins, every city, village and township in it can use EMCOG services, and so can non-profits based there.
Cities, villages and townships
Local governments can join in their own right. If more than two join from the same county, they choose among themselves who represents them on the Full Council.
Tribal government
The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan is a member of the Council.

Contributions

Each member makes an annual contribution. The Executive Committee recommends the amounts, and the Full Council adopts them with the budget. Contributions provide the local match for EMCOG’s federal economic development planning grant, and for work EMCOG takes on for its members, so they bring outside funding into the region.

How to apply

  1. Talk to the Executive Director

    Find out what membership would cover for your community, and what the annual contribution would be. Contact Sam Moore, Interim Executive Director, at 989-529-6733.

  2. Complete the membership application

    The Executive Director will send you the application and the contribution for the current year.

  3. Name your representatives

    A member county appoints two members and two alternates to the Full Council. Member cities, villages and townships agree among themselves who represents them.

Members

The Full Council's general membership.

* Dues-paying member

Officers and Executive CommitteeCommittees