Municipal Resources

Along with being available to assist you with questions about local government and regional issues, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments also provides multiple resources, such as county road maps, surveys, directories, FRCOG assessment notices, and myriad training opportunities for municipal officials. Here are some highlights of our municipal resources:

Wage and Salary Survey : The FRCOG publishes the results of its Wage and Salary survey each winter, providing detailed information on municipal compensation and benefits packages for Franklin County local officials. Click this link for the most recent survey results: FRCOG FY22 Municipal Wage and Salary Survey

Municipal Directory: The Franklin Regional Council of Governments publishes a Municipal Directory which lists contact information for municipal officials, departments, and services for each of the county’s 26 municipalities. FRCOG 2018-2019 Municipal Directory (update coming later in 2022).

If you find any inaccuracies or wish to update the information from your municipality for either the Wage and Salary Survey or the Municipal Directory, please contact Rebekah Boyd at admin@frcog.org or 413-774-3167, ext. 100.

Assessments to Towns

Each year, following the passage of the budget in late January, the FRCOG Finance Department releases the municipal assessments for annual membership and for the fee-for-service programs for the next fiscal year. The Franklin County Emergency Communication System (FCECS) Assessments are also released at this time. Links to both spreadsheets can be found below.

Approved FRCOG FY23 Municipal Membership and Fee-For-Services Assessment Notice

Approved FY23 Franklin County Emergency Communication System Assessment Notice

District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA)

Thanks to the Baker/Polito Administration and the Legislature, the FRCOG is pleased to once again be able to offer member towns technical assistance on a wide variety of priority issues. Among the priorities that can be addressed using these DLTA funds are the Massachusetts Community Compact Best Practice Areas.

Vacant and Abandoned Buildings: Options for Town Officials Vacant and abandoned buildings can be a financial drain on towns, can pose health and safety issues for residents and first responders, and can decrease the value of nearby properties. FRCOG Planning staff, partnering with our Cooperative Public Health Service, developed a Toolkit to help towns address vacant and abandoned buildings, focused on housing. The toolkit includes: 1) How to form a task force and who should serve on it, 2) How to inventory vacant and abandoned properties and set priorities for resolving issues and 3) how to follow various paths a town can pursue to clean up these properties. Click here to download a copy of the Toolkit. Learn about the Attorney General’s Abandoned Housing Initiative here. More information: Phoebe Walker at walkerATfrcog.org or (413) 774-3167 x 102.

Local Official Capacity Building Workshop Series
The Workshop Series is a monthly series that provides new and veteran town officials with continuing education on statutory requirements, best practices, and emerging issues of town governance. All town officials are always welcome. The workshops are free but we request that you register ahead of time. A flyer will be available before each workshop on the Meetings and Events calendar on this website.

Most workshops will continue to be held virtually, as virtual meetings have enabled participation from a wider range of Franklin County towns than when we held workshops in person.

2022 Local Official Capacity Building Workshops: Topics & Handouts