Hampshire Council of Governments

The Hampshire Council of Governments is a government entity with principal offices in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1998 as a successor to the 18th century government of Hampshire County. The focus of the Council is to help local governments solve problems through regional cooperation and save money, with a commitment to the concept of local control over local affairs.

Membership in the Hampshire Council is voluntary. Current towns with full membership include Belchertown, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Pelham, Plainfield, South Hadley, Southampton, Westhampton, and Williamsburg. Each town has one or more Councilors, elected by the voters in their local Town Elections.

The Cooperative Purchasing program coordinates and administers a formal bidding process for bulk buying.

Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust The Hampshire Councilors serve as the trustees of the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, a cooperative effort to provide health and life insurance for 68 governmental units - of which twenty-six are public employers in Hampshire County, thirty-six in Franklin County, three in Hampden County, and three in Worcester County. The Insurance Trust serves approximately 10,000 employees and their dependents.

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