Four municipalities in southern Butler County plan to join forces to streamline their operations and, hopefully, save some money in the process.

Zelienople Borough Council voted Monday to join the proposed Southwestern Butler Council of Governments. Lancaster Township agreed to join last month, and Harmony and Jackson Township are expected to come on board soon.

The group would partner on regional projects and aid in administrating the Harmony Fire District, which provides primary fire protection and rescue services for the four municipalities and also responds to neighboring areas for a variety of incidents.

“Council of Governments are created for the ability of municipalities to share,” Lancaster Township manager Michael Foote said before township supervisors voted to join the consortium. “It might be sharing the cost of a machine, it might be sharing personnel, it could be sharing projects.”

It makes sense to us.

“A good example would be with paving or materials or something where you’ve got the buying power of four municipalities now,” Foote said. “It’s a lot more strength than if we tried to buy something by ourselves.”

For example, why should four municipalities each purchase a brush hog to mow when they might only need it several days during the summer and it can be shared among them?

COGs are designed to provide cooperative planning, coordination and technical assistance on issues of mutual concern that cross jurisdictional lines. They also provide for joint purchasing, providing services that individual municipalities would otherwise have to perform on their own. A COG does not establish any laws or ordinances.

Foote said the decision to form the regional commission was a direct result of working with the municipalities on the larger, 10-municipality Southwest Butler Stormwater Planning Group.

The four municipalities show forward thinking in undertaking this project, and we wish them success in their endeavor.

— JGG