Initiative 1033 (I-1033) has Enough Certified Signatures to be on the November ballot (July 17)
This initiative would limit the annual increases in general fund revenues for the state, counties, and cities at the rate of inflation plus the rate of growth of population. Funds in excess of the limit would be used to reduce property taxes. More…..

Budget Suggestions for 2010 (July 17)
MRSC's Budget Suggestions for 2010 , Information Bulletin No. 533, is now available online. It contains budget calendars for cities and counties; summaries of 2009 legislation; revenue and inflation forecasts; and articles for those interested in city and county financial issues.

Official 2009 Population Figures Released by OFM (July 15)
The population figures used for distribution of state-shared revenues were recently released by the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). Detailed information on population estimates for cities, towns and counties may be found on OFM's Official April 1, 2009 Population Estimates Web page.

Designing Healthier Neighborhoods for Kids (July 15)
Pediatricians are paying more attention to how neighborhood design can affect children's physical activity, and they have some recommendations for governments. More from Governing.

4 Cases Of How Tearing Down A Highway Can Relieve Traffic Jams (And Save Your City) (July 15)
Though our transportation planners still operate from the orthodoxy that the best way to untangle traffic is to build more roads, doing so actually proves counterproductive in some cases. More from The Infrastructurist.

A Successful Strategy for Recruiting Women into the Law Enforcement Profession (July 15)
In spite heightened recruitment efforts and competitive compensation packages, the number of women entering protective services—and policing in particular—has not increased substantially over the past two decades. More from The Police Chief.

Big City Populations Survive the Housing Crunch (July 15)
America’s big cities, often considered to be the most demographically challenged part of our landscape, turn out to be survivors of the nation’s recent housing doldrums. More from Brookings.

Light Rail Boom Needs a Second Look (July 15)
Regions need to think first not about rails versus buses but the kind of network will serve them best. The goal of a viable citistate-wide system should come first and the preferred mode, fittingly, second. More from Citiwire.

From One-Way Rotary System to Modern Roundabout (July 15)
Across America, towns and cities of all shapes and sizes have been choosing modern roundabouts over antiquated signalization equipment and expensive grade separated interchanges. More from Making Places.

Web Sightings - Human Services (July 15)
Counties have responsibility for regional health and human services funding; however, cities also get into the act in providing community services for their citizens, often through a human services department. This month we’ve selected a variety of governmental and nonprofit human services sites:

• Human Services Administration, MRSC
• Health and Human Services Links, MRSC
• Grants & Funding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• HandsNet News - Emphasis on human services and community development information important to low-income communities and communities of color; organized into interest areas/topics
• American Public Human Services Association - Nonprofit organization of state and local human service agencies and individuals focused on public human service programs
• Washington Information Network 2-1-1 - Community resources online database of health and human services providers
• Human Services and Education, Issue Area, National Association of Counties - /li>

Washington Counties

• Island County Human Services Programs
• King County Department of Community and Human Services
• Kitsap County Human Services
• Pierce County Human Services
• Snohomish County Human Services

Washington Cities

• Auburn Human Services
• Bellingham Human Service Grants
• Federal Way Human Services
• Kent Human Services - (includes link to 2007-2012 Human Services Master Plan)
• Olympia and Thurston County Human Services Review Council
• Seattle Human Services Department
• Spokane Human Services Department
• Tacoma Human Services

Telecommuting and the Broadband Superhighway (July 15)
The nation’s next transportation funding legislation must promote the telecommuting option…aggressively. More from New Geography.

Trimming Benefits (July 15)
Government employee benefits are becoming a casualty of the nation's economic battles. More from American City & County.

The Public Market Renaissance (July 15)
After decades of decline, America’s local markets are making a comeback. More from Good.

Recovery Act Bond Finance Conference (July 15)
The Washington State Department of Commerce, formerly CTED, will be hosting a Recovery Act Bond Finance Conference on July 31, 2009 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Learn about financing public and private economic recovery projects for energy conservation, economic development, schools, public education and business development. Register through the Department of Commerce website