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Infrastructure Financing - Future Strategies to Meet Capital Needs

In his first Council/Commission Advisor column, Stan Finkelstein, Chair, Washington State Public Works Trust Board, argues that elected officials must have a vision for the future and exercise the leadership necessary to convince their colleagues that setting resources aside to address long-term capital needs must be a priority.
In Focus: Local Government News & Information
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Are Local Government Revenues Lagging Behind the Economy? (Jun 17)
Using past recessions as a guide, the rule of thumb is that the recovery in local government revenues will lag eighteen to twenty-four months behind the low point of a recession. More from MRSC Insight.

State Courts Must Waive All Fees for Indigent Civil Litigants (Jun 13)
In the case of Jafar v. Webb, the state supreme court reaffirmed that, if a person is found to be indigent under the rule, courts must waive all fees and surcharges. More from MRSC Insight.

The Cost of Door Hangers—Utility Terminations (Jun 17)
For many utilities, delivering a door hanger notice is the last step in the delinquent utility account process before disconnecting service to a residence. More from MRSC Insight.

Impact Fee Deferral System Deferred Again (Jun 12)
On the last possible day before the bill would have become law, Governor Inslee vetoed ESHB 1652, which would have required cities and counties that assess GMA impact fees to adopt a permanent system for deferring impact fee collection until the tail end of the permitting process. More from MRSC Insight.

Report on Use of Data Visualization (Jun 13)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, The Use of Data Visualization in Government, contains numerous examples of visualizations that include geographical and health data, or population and time data, or financial data represented in both absolute and relative terms—and each communicates more than simply the data that underpin it.

Announcing Our Newly–Revised Publication: City Bidding Book (Jun 11)
MRSC's newly-revised publication, the City Bidding Book, is designed to assist city and town officials in determining whether competitive bids are required for purchasing supplies, materials, equipment, or services, or when contracting for public works. More from MRSC Insight.

Program Aims to Solve Parking Woes (Jun 13)
The City and County of San Francisco’s Sfpark uses smart parking meters that — like congestion pricing on toll roads — change their prices according to location, time of day and day of the week with the goal of keeping nearly 15 percent of spaces vacant on any given block. More from NACo’s County News.

Opponents Sue to Stem Onrush of Flashing Digital Billboards (Jun 13)
Today massive digital billboards, commandeering attention as they flash new messages every few seconds, are proliferating across most states. But now, Scenic America, a nonprofit public interest group, is trying to force regulations to clamp down on the signs. More from Citiwire.

'Transit' Might Not Be Essential to Transit-Oriented Development (Jun 13)
If factors other than rail proximity can be emphasized and still produce decreases in car reliance, then the spirit of TOD can extend far beyond the T. More from The Atlantic Cities.

Housing America’s Graying Population (Jun 13)
Eighty to 90 percent of Americans want to “age in place,” either in their current home or in their neighborhood. But most homes and communities are not set up to house the elderly. More from Urban Land.

The Implication of Long-Term Pay Freezes (Jun 13)
Many public employees have waited years for salary increases, and recent surveys indicate pay freezes are continuing to persist. More from Governing.

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