Formalizing the Council of Governments was intended to allow the body to undertake projects more easily.

Effective at the beginning of the year, the change may have caused another change — increased participation.

A majority of the county’s municipalities — 14 of 27 — were represented at Wednesday’s meeting.

That included representation from Clarendon, Youngsville, Tidioute and Sugar Grove boroughs; Brokenstraw, Pleasant, Deerfield, Farmington, Glade, Limestone, Conewango Mead and Freehold townships as well as the City of Warren.

“That’s a really great accomplishment,” COG Chair Paul Pascuzzi said.

Formalizing brings other responsibilities including questions as general as “what are we going to do?”

Pascuzzi outlined how the group will need to identify the extent of its expenditures and said he made an “executive decision” to pause invoices to member municipalities.

“We need to determine, if we have a budget,” he said, “how we are going to split it.”

One area where the COG is likely to assert itself is lobbying for — or against — legislation that will impact the municipalities.

Youngsville Borough Councilman Troy Clawson highlighted a Sen Scott Hutchinson bill aimed at requiring PennDOT to maintain storm sewer drainage facilities connected to state roads in boroughs.

A memo for that legislation — Senate Bill 191 — said that PennDOT maintains the system in townships but not in boroughs.

Clawson noted that Youngsville has state roads that “run all the way through it” and if a storm sewer goes bad on one of those roads, the borough is currently on the hook for the repairs.

Pascuzzi also said the COG should keep an eye on a piece of legislation that would allow for the creation of a county-wide EMS authority.

“I think we need to start to think as a team, a cohesive group,” Pascuzzi said to the municipal officials, “that will make significant change in Warren County.”