About Us: Founding Principles

The founding members of the SGVCOG agreed upon several principles as the basis for this new interjurisdictional organization. These included:

• Legally Binding:  The Council of Governments would be a Joint Powers Authority comprised of the thirty-one member cities and have the authority to raise revenues and share liability with every city in the Valley.
• Equality:  Every member agency, regardless of its population size would be given equal status and full representation on the Governing Board.
• Financial Commitment: Every member agency will pay dues to support the Agency’s operations and those dues will be based on population to allow for an orderly growth in revenues over the subsequent years as the Valley grows. In addition, every agency must allocate some General Fund monies as a portion of its dues.
• Privatized: This new agency would be structured in a manner identical to the Foothill Transit model with no public employees in this new Agency. The intended purpose and commitment was not to create a new layer of government but establish this Agency and focus their effort on the performance and issues for the purpose of the entire Valley regardless of geographic and political boundaries.
• Regional Focus: The new Agency would focus on issues that transect the geographical boundaries of the represented cities. These issues include, but not limited to, land use, housing, solid waste, and transportation.