Recognizing that decisions made by any one jurisdiction may affect the welfare of others, the Whatcom Council of Governments holds that it is in the best interest of all Whatcom County governments that representatives of those jurisdictions come together regularly for the purposes of defining, discussing and planning the future of the region and of our relationship with the Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley areas of British Columbia.
Therefore, it shall be the mission of the Whatcom Council of Governments to provide general and special governments with an organized means of providing a more unified response to significant issues of this regional Whatcom County community, and to that end, the Council of Governments shall serve these functions:
- Provide a forum for the exchange of mutual interests, ideas and plans among jurisdictions and private members.
- Survey, investigate, analyze, research and report on issues of concern to the members.
- Serve as the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Regional Transportation Planning Organization.
- Conduct programs of interest to members concerning interjurisdictional issues and to suggest or recommend alternatives for dealing with issues in order to promote compatibility and assist members in understanding issues from other jurisdictional perspectives.
- Provide members with information, planning, grant-writing, technical expertise and program administration within budget limitations and the approved work program.
- Cooperate with other commissions, State and Federal agencies and, as appropriate, Canadian public and private agencies in the planning, development, and execution of programs of interest to members.
- When instructed to do so by the members, represent the mutual interests of the member jurisdictions before State, Federal and Canadian authorities.
- Collect and exchange information of regional interest.