Oconee’s membership in regional government group pays off

Members of Oconee County Council are talking about how a relatively small investment in a regional government service organization pays off in big dollars. The annual report of the South Carolina Appalachian Council of Governments was delivered during this week’s council meeting by Steve Pellisier, A-COG executive director. Headquartered in Greenville, A-COG acts as a clearinghouse for state and federal grants to six Upstate counties. County Council Tuesday night appeared especially pleased to hear that of all the counties, Oconee received the highest return for its investment during 2018. For its membership dues of just short of $39 thousand, the county and its municipalities got back $4.8 million. That equates to, in the words of Pellisier, to a return of $128 dollars for every one dollar invested. A-COG’s role is more than a funnel of outside grants to the six counties. Its staff also assists city and county governments by tackling various projects. The board of the government service organization is made of up residents of the six Upstate counties.