The principle of the council is that by banding together towns can solve problems and save money.
The Hampshire Council of Governments building in Northampton.SOUTH HADLEY – Todd D. Ford, the new executive director of the Hampshire Council of Governments, told South Hadley’s Selectboard recently why membership in his organization can save the town money.
His message was warmly received by the board, which has already looked at regionalization as a key to survival in hard times.
The Hampshire Council of Governments is a membership organization that took the place of the old county system.
So far, the council has 13 member communities, including Belchertown, Granby, Hadley and many of the Hampshire hilltowns.
The principle of the council is that by banding together towns can solve problems and save money on such services as grant consulting, zoning enforcement, website design, building inspection, insurance, accounting, purchasing and electricity.
Ford emphasized last week that he is looking to “revitalize and invigorate” the council, with towns getting results for their membership fee.
The fee for South Hadley to join would be $10,000 annually, with a commitment of four years. Fees vary from town to town, depending on property valuation and other factors.
In the early days of the council, membership fees were much higher. Ford said he believes the fee for South Hadley was $72,000 – quite a difference.
John Hine, chairman of the Selectboard, said that the town did belong to the council in the early 2000s, but withdrew because it wasn’t getting its money’s worth.
Ford made it clear that a price drop is not the only reason to join. He said the council is now run “much more like a business. We have no tax base, so I have to operate like a business.
“We’re open to exploring whatever solution may work,” said Ford. “We can provide direct service or refer you to to someone who can.”
To begin with, he said, any line items over $50,000 in a town’s budget would quickly get the council’s attention.
Ford cited some of the benefits Belchertown got in 2010 by being a member of the council: The cooperative purchasing program saved it $5,078, the electricity program saved it $14,960. In addition, the Belchertown schools saved $13,335.
The council has opened some of its services to all Hampshire towns, even if they are not members, and in fact South Hadley already is taking advantage of its health insurance program for municipal and school employees.
But Town Administrator Paul Beecher said the Selectboard agrees that it wants to be a full partner. “Participating is the key,” he said.
Beecher said afterward that South Hadley will join the council when the new fiscal year begins in July.
Another benefit of joining, said Ford, is that towns together can have a bigger influence on state policies, with the Hampshire Council of Governments “becoming a funnel for political messages we want to send to Boston.”
“This is a fantastic region,” said Ford. “We want to make sure it’s not forgotten.”