North Central Alabama Regional Council Of Government

North Central Alabama Regional Council Of Government, doing business as Narcog, is a U.S. local government council of governments entity based in Decatur, Alabama that operates as a federal grant recipient funding regional transit operations, economic development planning, and senior services coordination across Cullman, Lawrence, and Morgan Counties. Narcog acts as both a prime recipient (47% of recent awards) and a sub-recipient of federal grants (53%), with no federal contracts in its recent award portfolio. The organization operates a regional transit agency delivering demand-response transportation to the general public, older adults, and individuals with disabilities, and serves as a regional planning body for economic development and roadway safety initiatives.

Narcog's federal funding base is concentrated almost entirely in two grant programs. The Federal Transit Administration accounts for the largest share of direct funding, supporting operating and capital expenses for the transit agency through multiple Section 5307 and Section 5339 formula grants. Recent FTA prime awards include a $3,006,596 formula grant (August 2022) covering driver salaries, fuel, vehicle replacement, and computer hardware for transit operations through March 2030; a $1,574,386 formula grant (August 2024) for ongoing operations and capital improvements; a $124,929 formula grant (August 2024) for parking lot repaving and security gate installation; and a $120,828 formula grant (August 2025) for shade structure installation over bus parking areas. The Administration for Community Living, operating under the Department of Health and Human Services, is the second major customer, funding Narcog's delivery of senior services including Title III programs (congregate and home-delivered meals, caregiver support, community care services) and the Senior Services and Nutrition Improvement Program. Narcog receives these awards as a sub-recipient through the Alabama Department of Senior Services and has accumulated approximately 30 awards from ACL across the past several years.

Secondary funding sources include the Appalachian Regional Commission, which has issued 16 awards supporting annual Local Development Districts administrative operations and comprehensive economic development strategy work, and the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (9 awards), which funds the regional CEDS development process serving the north central Alabama region. The Federal Highway Administration awarded Narcog a $200,000 project grant under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program (CFDA 20.939) on June 22, 2026 to develop a comprehensive regional safety action plan through June 2028, marking the organization's most recent award. Across the entire footprint, Narcog has accumulated $16.8 million in combined obligated dollars across 70 awards dating back to 2008. Activity accelerated in 2024 (23 awards) and 2025 (16 awards) after steady-state years in 2022 and 2023, with only two awards facing ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months.