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Focus Archive - Governance

Please note that Focus section links were valid at the time of their original posting. However, since Web sites and addresses change frequently, we cannot guarantee that all links will remain operative.

Worst is Yet to Come for County Budgets, Survey Says (November 18)
The nation's counties, small and large, are still struggling to cope with declining revenues as a result of the recession, according to a new survey by the National Association of Counties (NACo). More from American City & County.

The Ticking Fiscal Clock (November 18)
In this state and local fiscal mess, realism may be the only option. More from Governing.

17 Low-Cost Talent Development Strategies for Local Governments (November 18)
Local government must invest in physical and human capital so they can survive and thrive as times improve. More from ICMA.

Local Governments to Face Large-Scale Cuts (November 18)
Despite reports that the economy is recovering from the recession, there will likely be large-scale city government layoffs, deep cuts to local government services and halted or delayed capital projects in the next year or two. More from Brookings.

Tactical Financial Management: Cash Flow and Budgetary Variance Analysis (November 18)
In the current environment, public officials can’t wait until the end of the year to get an accurate picture of financial position. More from Government Finance Review.

Private Pay, Public Pensions and Some Real Math (November 12)
Let's replace ideology with compensation analytics. More from Governing.

Smart City - Must Shrinking Cities Grow? (November 12)
This week's Smart City features discussions with Harvard economist Ed Glaeser about shrinking cities, and with urban design critic Randy Gragg about interactive art and urban design projects.

Volunteerism Sparks Municipal Innovation and Recovery (November 12)
Many cities are tapping into a reservoir of human capital — volunteers — to continue delivering services and driving economic recovery. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Is the Stimulus Working? (November 12)
A new International City/County Management (ICMA) white paper shows how common data from local governments can help determine the effects of stimulus funding and demonstrate the value of local governments. More from ICMA.

Top Digital Cities Announced for 2009 (November 12)
These city governments are using digital technologies to better serve their citizens and streamline operations. More from Government Technology.

Performance Auditing: Beyond 'Gotcha!' (November 12)
Washington State's new approach to performance audits is generating mixed reviews. More from Governing.

The Profound Puzzles of Effective Management (November 12)
Sudoku and the Sunday crossword can teach us a lot about leadership. More from Governing.

Tracking Ballots via E-mails and Texts (November 04)
In Denver, voters can receive updates on where their mail-in ballots are via e-mail or text. More from Governing's Idea Center.

America's Safest Cities (November 04)
These metros have the lowest rates of violent crime, workplace deaths, fatal crashes and natural disasters. More from Forbes.

Making Sense from Information Overload (November 04)
Governments need to apply the science of analytics to the vast amount of data they collect. More from Governing.

Charter Reform: Ways to Think About It (November 04)
When a community is considering the form of government it wants to adopt, it would do well to start by identifying the problems it is trying to fix and articulating goals. More from Public Management.

Seattle's Opportunity Emerging from the Great Recession (November 04)
To maximize Seattle's strengths as an innovative, progressive city, renewed civic collaboration and shrewd government intervention, on the small and large scale, will be necessary. More from Brookings.

In Search of a Fair Pension Formula (October 28)
Realistic income-replacement ratios in the 'new normal' economy. More from Governing.

Metropolitans in the Middle (October 28)
Relationships between the federal government, states, and localities need to be re-imagined to more fully realize the potential of metropolitan America. More from Brookings.

Outsourcing, Insourcing, Rightsourcing (October 28)
Now is not time to add more costs, or less quality, by artificially dictating insourcing targets in deciding how to go about the people's business. More from Governing.

Target Engaged (October 28)
Consultant gives tips on involving residents with local government. More from American City & County.

An Opportunity for Creative Destruction (October 28)
By empowering managers to challenge assumptions, the economic crisis has ushered in permanent changes to governing. More from Governing.

2009 Best of the Web Awards (October 28)
The Center for Digital Government recently announced the winners of their annual Best of the Web awards. More from Government Technology.

Social Media Sites' Handicap Hurdle (October 21)
As governments turn to Facebook and its ilk, they aren't paying enough attention to the needs of the visually or hearing-impaired. More from Governing.

For Unions, Tough Bargaining Times (October 21)
Mayors are asking public employees to to give up raises to save their cities. More from Governing.

MRSC Services Survey (October 21)
MRSC is conducting a brief survey to assess whether or not our existing services are meeting your needs and to determine your interest in any additional services. We would appreciate your taking a few minutes to respond to these nine questions. Thank you.

For Your Consideration (October 14)
A recent New York Times article ("Indigent Burials Are on the Rise," October 10, 2009) says that "coroners and medical examiners across the country are reporting spikes in the number of unclaimed bodies and indigent burials, with states, counties and private funeral homes having to foot the bill when families cannot." Has this issue come up in your city our county? If so, what has your response been? In tight economic times, how do you think local governments should cover the expense of indigent burials and cremation? Send us your response by email to mrsc@mrsc.org and we’ll post your answers.

How to Embrace Social Networking in Local Government (October 14)
The next wave of communications technology that we can't ignore as public administrators is technology-based social networking opportunities. More from Public Management.

Creating See-Through Government (October 07)
Transparency and accountability are more important than ever. There are steps managers should take to achieve those goals. More from Governing.

Cities Work with Schools to Remedy Park Shortages (October 07)
Working with schools gives parks departments a way to use rare open space that might otherwise be sitting vacant after school hours. More from American City & County.

Do Local Governments Tweet? (October 07)
Celebrities do it, your kids do it, and local governments are doing it, too. More from Public Management.

The Citizen Participation Gap: Can the Internet Help? (October 07)
Is the Internet leveling the playing field when it comes to citizen participation across income levels? More from MuniNetGuide.

The Next Federal Grant System (September 30)
The stimulus law’s transparency requirements won’t shed much light on the achievement of objectives. More from Governing.

Information for Innovation (September 30)
Data is nice, but information is better, faster, cheaper. More from Governing.

Ratcheting Up Performance (September 30)
Ratcheting up performance is essentially an addiction strategy: Create performance targets that people can hit. Get them hooked on success. More from Bob Behn's Performance Leadership Report.

Is Privatization the Answer? (September 30)
Mounting revenue shortfalls are forcing state and local governments to find creative ways to cut costs, while at the same time, continue to provide core services to residents. More from MuniNetGuide.

Social Media: Not Your Grandfather's Democracy (September 30)
As blogs, YouTube videos, and text blasts reshape how America communicates, few local governments—and even fewer city and county managers—are keeping pace. More from Public Management.

California: Paying the Price for Indulging Citizens (September 23)
The Golden State's voters opted for more schools, roads and research, but then refused to pay for them. More from Governing.

The Impact of the Fiscal Crisis on Local Governments (September 23)
A new report from the International City/County Management Association, How It Plays in Peoria: The Impact of the Fiscal Crisis on Local Governments, offers a snapshot of how local government leaders and communities throughout the nation are weathering the economic storm and positioning themselves for growth in the future.

Community Indicators Conference in Bellevue (September 17)
The Community Indicators Consortium’s 2009 International Conference showcasing best practices and some of the latest community indicator efforts, tools, and techniques will be at the Meydenbauer Conference Center in Bellevue, September 30 - October 2nd.

San Jose, Calif.'s Wikiplanning Project on Course (September 16)
In San Jose, Calif. -- the heart of Silicon Valley -- city officials are attempting to bring the wiki concept to city planning. More from Government Technology.

Frustrated by an Unchangeable Agency? Change Anyway (September 16)
The 10 Paradoxical Commandments of government explain why changing your agency is so hard — and why you should do it anyway. More from Governing.

Tying Federal Funding to Regional Cooperation (September 02)
If the Obama administration gets its way during the next few years, the means by which the federal government interacts with states and localities across a wide range of policy areas will be redefined. More from Governing.

Vibrant Neighborhoods and Successful Schools (September 02)
A recent Brookings paper, Vibrant Neighborhoods, Successful Schools: What the Federal Government Can Do to Foster Both, focuses on four principles regarding the vitality and performance of schools and communities and discusses opportunities for constructive policy interventions.

Upgrading the Way We Do Politics (September 02)
Dozens of effective public engagement techniques have been developed to enable citizens to have authentic, civil, productive discussions at public meetings—even on highly contentious issues. More from Yes!

It's All in the Questions: The Manager's Role in Achieving Fiscal Health (September 02)
As the fiscal reality facing local governments across the nation becomes more challenging to manage and the necessary financial choices become more difficult to make, local government managers must ensure that the right questions are being asked to assess their organization's state of fiscal health. More from Public Management.

Could the Recovery Act Help Reinvent Government? (August 26)
If you think the Obama administration’s $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is just one big government boondoggle, check out some top regional implementation strategies. More from Citiwire.

It’s Time to Wake up the Sleeping Giants (August 12)
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are ideally suited to the regional realities of today’s metropolitan areas and to the task of shaping future growth in multi-jurisdictional communities. More from Citiwire.

Brookings Report on the Landscape of Recession (August 12)
A new report from Brookings, Landscape of Recession: Unemployment and Safety Net Services Across Urban and Suburban America, measures recent changes in unemployment and the demand for safety net services, providing a first look at the impact of the current recession on the cities and suburbs of the country’s major metro areas. More from Brookings.

Fiscal Impact Statement for Initiative 1033 (August 12)
The State Office of Financial Management (OFM) recently released the Fiscal Impact Statement for Initiative 1033 estimating impacts on state, city and county governments through calendar year 2015. For more information, see MRSC's new Initiative 1033 page.

The Experience Strategy (August 05)
Before selling a solution, a leader needs to ‘sell the problem.’ That’s best done when managers themselves experience what's wrong. More from Governing.

Eyes Wide Open, A Practical Guide to Business Retention (August 05)
More than ever before, a sound, systematic business retention program should be the foundation of every community's economic development strategy. More from Public Management.

Which Cities Will, and Won’t, Recover the Fastest (August 05)
While some cities are poised for a quick rebound, others face a slog to recovery that could take years. More from Forbes.

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.

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

Census Bureau: Outlying Counties are Growing Faster (June 24)
While a solid majority of the U.S. metro area population was living in central metro counties by 2007, the outlying metro counties in most regions of the country grew faster between 2000 and 2007 than central counties, according to new information released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Leadership during Difficult Budget Times (June 24)
With the financial crisis and the resulting global economic downturn, nearly every police agency is affected by budget cuts, and nearly every executive is faced with difficult choices. More from The Police Chief.

Football and Innovation (June 17)
To meet the demands of a changing world, governments need to program themselves for change. More from Governing.

The Hint Behind “That’s Funny” (June 17)
Public executives never have time to think. Yet, whenever they say to themselves, “that’s funny,” they ought to recognize this as a signal that they need to stop and think. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

How Questions Can Drive Leadership Success (June 17)
When leaders reflect, rather than ruminate, about challenges and problems, they move toward resilient problem solving. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Squeezing the Cops (June 17)
You thought police were safe from budget cuts? So did they. More from Governing.

Can Social Networking Lead to a Rebirth in Civic Engagement? (June 17)
Local governments, in particular, can capitalize on the amazing opportunity that Web-based technologies, including social networking (SN), provide. More from NACo's County News.

Click for Property Tax Info (June 10)
Up until 1996, the federal government provided local property tax information from across the country. Starting June 8, a partnership restored the service by launching an online property tax database.

Seniors and the City (June 10)
Most baby boomers hope to age in place. Should government play a role in making that happen? More from Governing.

Research Offers a Transforming View of the Mayor's Office (June 10)
James Svara of the Alliance for Innovation cites research that runs counter to most of the academic literature on effective leadership in the council-manager form of government. More from ICMA.

Web Sightings - Intergovernmental Cooperation and Regionalism (June 03)
This month we’ve selected a few resources on a topic of continuing interest, especially as local governments seek to stretch their limited resources and develop innovative partnerships in challenging economic times:

See-Thru Government (June 03)
When it comes to spending taxpayer dollars, how much transparency is enough? More from Governing.

This President does not Chop Brush (June 03)
Unlike all his predecessors since Kennedy, Obama is an engaged city dweller -- just like the majority of Americans. More from Salon.

Time to Thoughtfully Challenge the Status Quo (June 03)
Traditional local budgeting strategies, although relatively easy to implement, are failing to adequately address the fiscal needs of local jurisdictions. More from Public Management.

Report Evaluates Smart Growth Policies (June 03)
Smart Growth Policies: An Evaluation of Programs and Outcomes, is the first major evaluation of smart growth policies in the United States, the result of a two-year effort involving 21 contributing researchers convened by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

The Devil ... and Angels in the Details of Obama’s FY10 Budget (May 27)
President Barack Obama submitted his detailed budget to Congress earlier this month. NACo legislative staff provides a synopsis of the details. More from NACo's County News.

Regional Cooperation: A Pathway to Economic Recovery (May 27)
Regional cooperation is a proven way to reduce costs, increase economic competitiveness, manage development impacts and create new opportunities and synergies between communities. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

The Promise of Going 'Lean' (May 27)
It's the latest, buzziest trend in government management. Just don't call it a fad. More from Governing.

A Government Retrofit: Federal Coordination (May 20)
As we stare down the economic recovery and a post-carbon future, we’ve got a lot of retrofitting to do. One thing that badly needs an update: governance. More from Citiwire.

Smart City - Successful City Secrets (May 20)
This week's guest on Smart City ofers a global perspective on the secrets of successful cities.

MRSC's In Focus e-Newsletter for Councilmembers and Commissioners (May 20)
MRSC's bi-weekly In Focus e-newsletter is an excellent way for your elected officials to stay informed about the latest news, research, events and trends affecting Washington city and county governments. Sign them up today.

Can Social, Participatory Gov 2.0 Work? (May 20)
The charge towards Gov 2.0 is in danger of falling off the tracks if done incorrectly. More from Government Technology.

The Challenge of Recognizing Novelty (May 13)
When professionals mis-diagnose a crisis emergency as routine, they may employ a routine response that can actually exacerbate the crisis. More from Bob Behn's Management Report.

Why the Shovels Matter (May 13)
The state and local governments that are going to benefit from the stimulus package the most—the ones that will get the most bang for the buck and move their economies back to prosperity most quickly—are those that did their strategic thinking long ago. More from Governing.

Find Me the Money (May 13)
Desperate for cash, states and localities are imposing fees in ever more creative ways. More from Governing.

Using Information Technology to Develop Innovative Links with Residents (May 13)
Creative approaches are being developed to use the Internet to link residents with government and draw forth a higher level of input and sharing of views. More from ICMA.

Involving Citizens in Adapting to Climate Change (May 06)
Evidence for climate change has been mounting over the past two decades and presents local governments with an unprecedented challenge in carrying out its responsibilities to protect citizens from harm. More from ICMA.

Smart City - Connecting a City Through Greenways (May 06)
This week's guest on Smart City tells us how greening a city can help build community and civic engagement.

Ready-to-Go Regionalism (May 06)
It's time to give metropolitan planning organizations real power. More from Governing.

Study Shows Effectivenes of Strategies Adopted by US Cities During the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic (April 30)
A recent study found a strong association between early, sustained, and layered application of nonpharmaceutical interventions by US Cities and mitigating the consequences of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic in the United States. More from the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Agencies Collaborating: Affair of the Year (April 30)
Radical change is brewing in how Washington impacts growth and development of America’s communities. More from Citiwire.

New Century Infrastructure: Where’s the Plan??? (April 30)
The United States desperately requires a forward-looking plan for 21st century infrastructure that can support and sustain renewed economic growth and accommodate 100 million more Americans over the next 40 years. More from Citiwire.

Port Privatization Trend Growing (April 30)
More ports looking to public-private partnerships to fund improvements and expansion. More from the Reason Foundation.

Infrastructure Madness (April 30)
Don't believe everything you read about the failing bridges and antiquated waterworks. More from Slate.

Celebrating 75 Years of Research and Services! (April 23)
MRSC proudly continues the program begun as the Bureau of Governmental Research and Services in 1934 at the University of Washington. In honor of our organization’s 75th anniversary, we hope that you will enjoy a multimedia slideshow containing highlights of our history. Also see “Twenty-Five Years of Governmental Research and Service” prepared in honor of the Bureau’s 25th anniversary in 1959.

GASB Issues New Accounting, Financial Reporting Standards (April 22)
The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has issued new standards of accounting and financial reporting that will affect all counties and are intended to improve the clarity and consistency of the fund balance information provided to financial report users. More from NACo's County News.

Uneven Stimulus (April 22)
The feds are dumping piles of stimulus dollars on all 50 states, but when you look behind the 11-digit numbers, some interesting disparities emerge. More from Governing.

Digging for Dollars (April 22)
When it comes to stimulus money for new projects, fortune favors the prepared city. More from Governing.

Track Service Requests with MRSC's Citizen Help Desk (April 22)
MRSC has developed a citizen help desk that allows your city or county to log, assign and track service requests from citizens and businesses that arrive via telephone, email, online form or in person. MRSC hosts and updates the system for a low-cost annual fee based on population served. Larger agencies can receive the programming code to host on your own server for an initial setup fee. To learn more about the system, sign up for a brief introductory online demonstration or contact us at mrsc@mrsc.org.

Running Business Like a Government (April 22)
There's a lot that government does right. The private sector ought to take a few notes. More from Governing.

The Pain of Cutting Payroll (April 22)
Whacked by budget deficits and with no end to sluggish economies in sight, states, cities and counties have been forced to make the hardest cuts of all — workforce reductions. More from Governing.

MRSC Blog: Selected Local Government Press Releases (April 22)
We have launched our blog containing selected local government press releases to keep you informed on new Washington local government programs and initiatives. Each entry is assigned a category (finance, planning, etc.) and a tag (wetlands, urban forestry, etc.) so you can sort them by topic. If you have not already done so, please add blog@mrsc.org to your agency's press release distribution list.

Public/Private Partnerships in Transportation (April 15)
Public/private partnerships in transportation, long prevalent in other parts of the world, are becoming increasingly popular in U.S. states and cities searching for infrastructure funding alternatives. More from Urban Land.

Smart City - Elsewhere U.S.A. (April 15)
Technology has given birth to a new place, according to Dalton Conley, author of the new book, Elsewhere USA. In it he describes the way the American social landscape has changed from the 1950's ideal of a split between work and home, to a constantly connected 24-hour economy. More from Smart City.

Brookings Report Assesses Impacts of Stimulus Spending (April 15)
A new Brookings report, Metro Potential in ARRA: An Early Assessment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, provides an initial overview of the intent, approach, and content of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) from the point of view of metropolitan America.

Cities Taking Measures to Stimulate their Local Economies (April 15)
Building on national economic recovery efforts, local governments across the nation are strategically assessing the needs of their communities and employing creative solutions to stimulate business growth and development. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Talk to Me (April 08)
What is the point of upgrading communication technology if public officials cannot settle who is in charge and what procedures to follow? More from American City & County.

O Citizen, Where Art Thou? (April 08)
Getting public input into the budget-writing process sounds easier than it is. More from Governing.

Managing Your Budget: Making Tough Decisions in Tough Times (April 08)
For managers, the challenge is to estimate accurately the relationship between two independent resource streams—revenues and expenditures—for their local governments. More from Public Management.

Smart City - Century of the City (April 08)
A century ago, only one in 10 people lived in an urban environment. 100 years later, a majority of us call a city home. Darren Walker offers a fascinating global perspective on the Century of the City, the title of the new book on Smart City.

Report on Outcome-Oriented Performance Measurement (April 08)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Moving Toward Outcome-Oriented Performance Measurement Systems, provides examples of outcome-oriented performance measurement systems across the country and offers recommendations on how to develop useful measurement systems that other communities can act upon.

Organized for Service (March 26)
CRM/311 systems force communities to take a hard look at how they respond to problems. More from American City & County.

Getting Ready for Build America Bonds (March 26)
There's a new tool for financial officials and managers to master. More from Governing.

Hope for Metro Regions In New White House Office? (March 26)
Can the new White House Office of Urban Affairs live up to grand expectations? More from Citiwire.

Sharing the Pension Pain (March 26)
Public officials have been slow to react to the changing landscape in pension finance, and it's imperative that they wake up and smell the coffee soon, especially those who are involved in labor negotiations. More from Governing.

Message to President Obama: Don't Forget the Suburbs (March 26)
American suburbs are increasingly diverse places and the economic engines that drive metropolitan areas, which are the key to the nation’s prosperity. More from Citiwire.

What the Stimulus Bill Really Means for Cities (March 26)
President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains an abundance of funding figures that should make urban enthusiasts very happy. More from Next American City.

In Hard Times, Public Places are More Important Than Ever (March 26)
Places that serve everyone in the community—parks, libraries, public buildings, markets, plazas, playgrounds, and other hang outs—are more important than ever, especially for those who are struggling to get by on shrinking or low incomes. More from World Changing.

The Dying Auto Mall (March 26)
Over the past two decades, the funding of local government has become increasingly intertwined with the sale of cars. More from Governing.

Taking on the Sacred Cows (March 18)
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing some new math when it comes to pensions for first responders. More from Governing.

Tackling Taxophobia (March 18)
We can’t keep pretending tax increases are a fatal disease. More from Governing.

Measuring Livability and Performance (March 18)
The Oregon Progress Board was created in the late 1980s to develop statewide livability indicators and monitor progress on Oregon's statewide strategic plan. It certainly lives up to its name with the release of its 2009 Benchmark Highlights Report.

A Ghostly Commercial Sprawl Drains Municipal Funds (March 18)
Empty offices, malls, and factories blight U.S. communities just when they most need commercial real estate revenues the sites once provided. More from Business Week.

Crisis as Opportunity (March 18)
The economic crisis could be the chance of a lifetime to reform government. More from Governing.

A Time for Strings (March 11)
We need to stimulate state and local economies. We also need to keep close watch on what we’re stimulating. More from Governing.

Coming Together, Breaking Apart (March 11)
To consolidate or not to consolidate: a puzzling question. More from Governing.

Government Seeks Major Input on Broadband Build-Out (March 11)
By design, there were a lot more questions than answers at the first meeting of the three government agencies charged with overseeing the broadband deployment portion of the economic stimulus package. More from Broadcasting & Cable.

Suburbs Not Most Popular, But Suburbanites Most Content (March 11)
Suburbanites are significantly more satisfied with their communities than are residents of cities, small towns or rural areas, according to a Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey. More from the Pew Research Center.

ICMA Report on 311 Systems (March 04)
A new report from the International City/County Management Association, Call 311: Connecting Citizens to Local Government Final Report, is intended to serve as a reference manual for local governments considering the implementation of a centralized customer service system.

Stimulus Controls Vital But What About Results? (March 04)
In the battle against bad projects, bad practices or bureaucratic delay, governors and mayors know they’ll be on the hot spot to deliver a quality performance when dealing with the billions of dollars in the Obama administration stimulus projects. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Free the Hostages (March 04)
Sure, governments are monopolies. But they don't have to act like it. More from Governing.

Broadband Provisions in Federal Stimulus Bill (March 04)
Grants through the broadband stimulus bill can potentially bring significant job creation and other economic benefits to small towns and rural communities. However, few of these benefits will reach full fruition if you don't pay attention to D.C. during the next 30 days. More from consultant Craig Settles.

Recovery.wa.gov (March 04)
The recovery.wa.gov website is designed to help Washingtonians understand the federal economic recovery package and locate information that helps local governments find the right place to apply for funding.

Engaging Residents to Make the Tough Choices (March 04)
Engaging the community in the budgeting process is one way to help make more informed decisions, to strengthen trust with constituents, and to ease some of the political risks that come with budget cuts. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

The Stimulus Hot Seat (February 26)
As the money flows from Washington, state and local government managers need to be proactive about accountability. More from Governing.

No Perfect Performance Measure (February 26)
Don’t go looking for the perfect performance measure. It doesn’t exist. So, start with a good measure or two. Identify their flaws. Be alert for them. You’ll never eliminate all of the flaws. Get over it. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Federal Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (February 26)
One day after signing the $787 billion economic recovery package into law, President Obama announced the most expansive federal effort to date to address the current foreclosure crisis that many believe is the root cause of the economic downturn. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

A Break in the Levy (February 26)
Property tax revenue has kept localities solvent in many a recession. It won’t happen this time. More from Governing.

Radical Renewal (February 19)
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak loves economic development. He just wants to do it his way. More from Governing.

How the Crash Will Reshape America (February 19)
How might various cities and regions fare as the crash of 2008 reverberates into 2009, 2010, and beyond? Which places will be spared the worst pain, and which left permanently scarred? More from The Atlantic.

Unprecedented Economic Crisis Demands Unprecedented Response (February 19)
The deepening economic crisis impacting our country, and more specifically our cities, is the worst we've seen for generations and demands a response in scope beyond anything we could have considered even one year ago. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

A Road by Any Other Name (February 12)
It's dull and technical sounding, but the word "infrastructure" is now being heard regularly and often in public discourse. More from Governing.

Imagining the Suburban Future (February 12)
Speaking of the future of American suburbs, Herbert J Gans, Professor of Sociology, Columbia University, contends that there will be no drastic changes in the next decade or even the next quarter century and that both suburban homeowners and future homeowner hopefuls will oppose any attempt to move them involuntarily to significantly higher densities.

NLC Survey: City Fiscal Conditions Continue to Worsen (February 12)
The unprecedented economic conditions facing the nation are increasingly straining the ability of cities to meet their financial needs. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure (February 05)
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released their 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, estimating the nation still stands at a D average. More from ASCE.

Gov. Gregoire Unveils New Budget Calculator (February 05)
Governor Chris Gregoire today announced the addition of an interactive budget calculator to her Web site, which will allow citizens the opportunity to develop a state budget.

Stimulating Main Street (February 05)
Most infrastructure is local. That's where stimulus spending can do the most the quickest. More from Governing.

Navigating the Fiscal Crisis Wiki (February 05)
Within the pages of the Alliance for Innovation's Navigating the Fiscal Crisis Wiki, local government experts are exploring the nature of today’s fiscal crisis and what specific steps can be taken to pursue economic recovery for our communities.

Rethinking the Interstate (January 29)
What if we used our 46,000 miles of highway as the backbone of a new 21st-century infrastructure? More from Metropolis Magazine.

The Suburban Challenge (January 29)
Washington needs to recognize that many of the country's biggest problems—and biggest opportunities—have moved beyond the city limits to the burbs. More from Newsweek.

Massive Collaboration (January 29)
Will ‘Massive Collaboration’ Work for You? New Web-based collaboration tools offer ways for governments to tap the wisdom of crowds. More from Governing.

Paradise LOSt: How Long Will the City Keep Us Stuck in Our Cars? (January 29)
LOS (Level of Service Standard) analysis seems like science, free from political or ideological considerations, the perfect traffic-engineering tool to rationalize our cities, but the methodology behind it is far from precise. More from Streetsblog.

Community Matters (January 22)
A recent ICMA Management Perspective report discusses why community building is important to cities and counties and what can be done to foster leadership, accountability, and participation in this critical endeavor.

Citywide Afterschool Systems Expand Opportunities to Learn and Grow (January 22)
Mayors increasingly understand the importance of having an array of enriching afterschool programs that introduce students to the arts, provide recreation and physical activity, or reinforce the learning gains made during the school day. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

A Whole New Mind-set on Fighting Crime (January 15)
When it comes to fighting crime, it seems that society as a whole has been working in the wrong jungle—the reactive, adversarial jungle, where it is the job of the law enforcement community to handle safety issues. Communities need to embrace a proactive, problem-solving approach that focuses on prevention, where it is everyone’s job to promote safety. More from The Police Chief.

Revenue Revisions (January 15)
States and localities should use the current fiscal trauma to adjust and amend the ways they raise money. More from Governing.

Prudent Privatization (January 15)
Too often the privatization debate is consumed by political rhetoric instead of careful analysis. More from Governing.

States, Cities Spar over Stimulus Money (January 08)
The nation’s cities and counties are asking Obama transition officials to give them most of the infrastructure money from the multibillion-dollar economic stimulus package, setting off a dispute with the states over who can launch transportation projects the fastest. More from Stateline.

Flakes of Danger (January 08)
The one thing a big-city mayor can’t afford to do is mishandle snow removal. More from Governing.

The Ellis Island Economy (January 08)
The next time you buy a pair of jeans from Forever 21, you might consider that the retail clothier was founded by a Korean immigrant to the United States. More from The Next American City.

Leaky Roofs and Windows (January 08)
There’s no time like hard times to take a close look at duplicative programs. More from Governing.

Cities Take Action on Poverty (December 18)
Recent reports from city officials indicate a growing array of responses to the needs of low-income families. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

The Role of Leadership in Building High-Performing Organizations (December 18)
Despite the current economic situation, all is not doom and gloom for public-sector managers. There is an alternative to slashing services, laying off employees, and raising fees. More from Government Finance Review.

Free on Friday (December 18)
Whether it’s to save energy or lure young workers, states and localities are testing the four-day work week. More from Governing.

The Disaster Tripwire (December 11)
The tough choices on emergency response are gradually migrating to Washington. More from Governing.

Local Management in a Global Era (December 11)
Thinking globally, acting locally isn’t about changing the world. It’s about changing ourselves. What we need is a global context for our local responsibilities—becoming “g/local” in our outlook. More from Public Management.

Cutting Benefits: The Wrong Way and the Right Way (December 11)
Although federal aid to state and local governments from the Obama administration seems likely in January, painful cutbacks are inevitable. More from Governing.

Early Warning Signs of Revenue Problems (December 11)
Managers need indicators that anticipate revenue crises with sufficient advance warning that remedial action can be taken. More from ICMA.

Going for an Upturn (December 11)
Faced with stagnant tax revenues and a dwindling jobs base, elected officials — and their appointed economic developers — feel tremendous pressure to do something to turn things around. More from Governing.

Cutting for Excellence (December 11)
Slashing spending offers opportunities for positive change. But a government’s workers need to be part of the process, and they need to know they are being treated fairly. More from Governing.

Local Management in a Global Era (December 04)
Cross-national policy learning can lead to significant advances in the practice of local government management in the United States. More from Public Management.

Dealing with Resistance (December 04)
Resistance is a vital ingredient in change, especially in achieving transformational change, which is just the kind of change we need to deal effectively with a fiscal crisis. More from Governing.

In an Epic Fiscal Storm, New Strategies Sprout (December 04)
The recession is driving America’s city governments into an epic fiscal storm. Unlike earlier downturns, all three big revenue sources income, property and sales taxes are falling together. More from Citiwire.

Legislating-for-Results Municipal Action Guides (December 04)
The Urban Institute and National League of Cities have developed a series of 10 guides for city and county elected officials, and their staffs, to help them obtain and use information about the results of their governments' services. More from The Urban Institute.

Hey, Big Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (November 25)
There are strong arguments to make that state and local governments need financial aid from Uncle Sam. More from Governing.

Regional Fire Authority Implementation Guide (November 20)
In a joint venture, the Washington Fire Chiefs and the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters have developed a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) Implementation Guide (545 KB) to assist agencies in determining if an RFA is right for them and, if so, how to initiate the RFA process.

The Unofficial Role of the Administrator (November 20)
Many mayor-council communities, looking for the benefits of professional management without the requirement of going through a formal election to change the form of government, have chosen to create a city administrator position to serve under the mayor. Lynn Nordby, MRSC Public Policy and Management Consultant, discusses the unofficial role of the city administrator in these communities. More from Public Management.

No Significant Trends for County Issues this Election (November 13)
The Election Day message of change was loud and clear at the national level. Less clear were any significant trends that local governments could follow, as social issues dominated the Nov. 4 election. More from NACo's County News.

Community Visioning and Strategic Planning Handbook (November 13)
The National Civic League's Community Visioning and Strategic Planning Handbook lays out the framework of the successful community planning processes used by the National Civic League and others across the country.

Local Services Feel the Squeeze (November 13)
Even as states petition Congress for help with their weakening budgets, localities are worried they may be hit the hardest. More from Governing

All Systems in Distress (November 13)
Even if the Wall Street bailout works, state and local governments will have fiscal problems for a long time. More from Governing.

Smart City - Using the Internet to Explore Your City (October 30)
This week's guest on Smart City is the creator of Everyblock.com, a website that provides hyper-local news tailored to your street address. Want to find out what's happening in your neighborhood?

Local Governments Gear Up to Deal with Economic Downturn (October 30)
Local government economic struggles mirror those of the nation, according to a quick poll conducted by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) in September. More from ICMA.

Government in 3D (October 30)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Government in 3D: How Public Leaders Can Draw on Virtual Worlds, explores how cutting-edge government organizations are using 3-dimensional virtual worlds on the Internet to conduct training, recruit new employees, and educate the public.

Seizing the Initiative (October 23)
Legislators can’t make unwanted ballot measures go away. But they can put them through some extra hoops. More from Governing.

Sustainability and Survival (October 16)
Managing development to meet the needs of the present without compromising the future is no longer a luxury. More from Governing.

Feds, States, Cities: In One Fiscal Boat (October 16)
For many years, official Washington — its own “echo chamber,” as some say — has been ignoring the financial needs and prospects of state and local governments. That era is now coming to a crashing end. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Beyond Bailout: Reinvesting In "U.S." (October 09)
With the Wall Street mortgage meltdown so massive its costs could reach toward $1 trillion, where’s the economic plan to rebuild America’s cities and infrastructure, to retool our businesses and people for a risky century? More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

City of Vancouver Recognized Nationally for Performance Management (October 02)
The City of Vancouver was recognized recently with the highest award possible for its use of performance information in the management of the city, a "Certificate of Distinction" from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). More from the City of Vancouver.

Excelling in Times of Fiscal Distress (October 02)
Well-run organizations not only survive economic downturns but also create the momentum required to excel. Six characteristics distinguish successful government organizations from the rest of the pack. More from Governing.

Good Question! (October 02)
Regular users of this site know that we feature an "inquiry of the week" on the MRSC home page (see right-hand column). We have now incorporated a compilation of these questions and responses into the MRSC Index. The MRSC Index is a one-stop listing of all web pages, documents and inquiries that we have on any given topic. Browse the index by topic or search it by keyword.

Local Government Budget Library (October 02)
MRSC maintains an extensive collection of local government budgets organized by city, county and special purpose districts. We also link to online budgets (along with other documents and services) within the profiles that we maintain for each city and county.

Few Mayors Rise to Top Positions in US Government (October 02)
Sarah Palin is trying to become the second mayor ever to ascend to the vice-presidency of the United States. Given that about 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, why have so few mayors been elected to the top political posts in the United States? More from City Mayors.

Communicating the Counts (September 18)
Performance measures needn’t be feared. Publicizing the data in the right way can benefit government agencies and the public. More from Governing.

Performance Measurement - Compared with What? (September 18)
All evaluations involve a comparison. Whether you are evaluating a village or a public agency, you do so by making a comparison. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

City Fiscal Conditions Take a Turn for the Worse (September 18)
The National League of Cities recently released their City Fiscal Conditions in 2008 report, which finds a troubling combination of developments that will likely affect the financial health of cities over the next several years. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Executioner’s Song (September 11)
There is a lot of fanfare when a new program is signed into law. But then, it disappears from sight. Why is that? More from Governing.

Trends in Performance Measurement and Management Practices (September 11)
An increasing number of governments are using performance measurement and management practices, and these initiatives have broader stakeholder involvement than in the past. More from Government Finance Review (1.5 PDF).

The Foreclosure Credit Storm and Cities (September 11)
The most visible impacts on cities and towns of the foreclosure crisis have been boarded up neighborhoods and sharp declines in property tax revenues. But the credit meltdown of financial institutions has had less visible, but more serious impacts for city finances. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

The Case for Evidence-Based Policy (September 04)
U.S. public policy has increasingly been conceived, debated, and evaluated through the lenses of politics and ideology. The fundamental question "Will the policy work?" too often gets short shrift or even ignored. More from the Urban Institute.

Performance Measurement - Shining a Bright Light (September 04)
Shining a light on the performance of different units can both motivate improved performance and generate experiments from which everyone can learn how to produce better results. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

A Push-Pull Strategy for Change (September 04)
Leadership is about winning followers. One basic way to do so is to articulate demand for change and put people in touch with their own discontent about the status quo. More from Governing.

Counties Enter MySpace-YouTube Generation (September 04)
Increasingly, counties are using free social networking Web sites to connect with their residents "where the eyeballs are" - online - on sites such as Friendster, MySpace, YouTube, Bebo and Facebook. More from NACo's County News.

Top Government Web Portals and Applications for 2008 (September 04)
Winners of the 2008 Best of the Web and Digital Government Achievement Awards have been announced by e.Republic's Center for Digital Government. More from Government Technology.

New Feature - National News Clippings (September 04)
We've added a new feature to our "Local Governments in the News" section below. Now, in addition to our regular local news source clippings, we will also be featuring news clippings from various national news sources highlighting current events, trends and other news affecting Washington city and county governments and special districts.

Public Records Act Case Law Update (August 28)
In the last few months, the Washington Courts have issued five Public Records Act (PRA) opinions on several key issues. More from Foster Pepper News Alerts.

Report on Online Citizen Consultation (August 28)
A new report from the Moritz College of Law, at The Ohio State University entitled, "Building Democracy Through Online Citizen Consultation: A Framework for Action," is intended as a brief practical guide to public officials who are wondering (a) what e-democracy is and (b) what sorts of issues need to be considered if an online consultation is to be staged successfully.

Cities in a State of Rapid Decay (August 19)
While the mortgage crisis has hit hard in California and other prosperous regions, the cities that are sliding fastest into decline are still in the Rust Belt, with disappearing populations and bleak job prospects. More from Forbes.

Making Sense (August 19)
Many state and local officials struggle to communicate the business of government to residents, particularly when presenting information about how taxpayers' money is allocated and spent. More from American City & County.

In Focus for Councilmembers and Commissioners (August 19)
MRSC's bi-weekly In Focus e-newsletter is an excellent way for your elected officials to stay informed about the latest news, research, events and trends affecting Washington city and county governments. Forward a copy of this newsletter to your elected officials or sign them up today.

Taking Stock of the Council-Manager Form at 100 (August 13)
With the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the city manager position in Staunton, Virginia, it is appropriate to take stock of what the form means, its current status in local government, and its continuing significance. More from Public Management.

Leveraging Web 2.0 in Government (August 07)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Leveraging Web 2.0 in Government, presents the potential uses of social computing in government, discusses the barriers to Web 2.0, and presents what citizens think about Web 2.0. More from the IBM Center for the Business of Government.

Diversity and the Changing Face of Suburbia (July 24)
American suburbs have grown so immense and diverse, now housing more than half the U.S. population, that no out-of-date stereotypes can capture their complexity, meaning or future direction. More from Next American City.

A New ‘Metropolitics’ — Are We Ready? (July 17)
The time may be ripe for a new metropolitics, a radical new “deal” between the federal government and America’s metropolitan regions. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

The Cracks are Showing (July 17)
America’s tradition of bold national projects has dwindled. With the country’s infrastructure crumbling, it is time to revive it. More from The Economist.

Financial Insight: Key for Tough Times (July 17)
Knowledge is power: State and local officials are handicapped by their lack of good financial data. More from Management Insights.

Soaring Fuel Costs Draining Government Budgets (July 17)
With soaring fuel costs, local government budgets are being gouged and concerns of negatively impacting service levels are at the forefront of our daily operations. More from the Alliance for Innovation Newsletter.

Quick Links to City/County Information (July 17)
MRSC recently expanded the types of key documents (e.g., budgets and comp plans) and services (e.g., council broadcasts and online service request forms) that we track in our "city profiles" page. Use these profiles for quick access to city and town documents and services. For county information, see our "county profiles" page.

Innovation in Public Management: What the Future Will Demand of Us (July 03)
One of the key challenges for today’s public manager is to learn to harness the power of innovation and apply it to solving the simplest as well as the most complex problems of the local government workplace. More from Public Management.

Justice Department Issues New ADA Regulations (July 03)
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking designed to update the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations dealing with state and local government services. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

The Super Sleuth (June 26)
It isn’t all about "gotcha." An auditor can be a positive force in helping a city improve its systems and responsiveness. More from Governing.

Youth Engagement in Planning (June 12)
In a growing number of circumstances, children and youth are taking a more active role in shaping their communities. More from The Commissioner.

Urban Planning and E-Government (June 12)
Despite innovations in many areas of governance, the use of the information technology in general and the Internet specifically to facilitate citizen involvement in urban planning has been limited. More from the Goodspeed Update.

Expectations for Performance Audits (June 12)
There is a key difference between auditing finances and auditing performance. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Fat Pensions Spell Doom for Many Cities (June 05)
Vallejo, Calif., took the extreme step of filing for bankruptcy to get out of generous obligations to public employees. Other cities and states are watching. More from CNN Money.

An Age of Transformation (June 05)
America's suburbs are coming to resemble its city centres. That is both good news and bad. More from The Economist.

Getting Your Priorities Straight (June 05)
While focusing on priorities sometimes takes a back seat to other issues during times of fiscal stress, it’s actually even more critical to make prioritization a top priority. More from Public Management.

Best Cities to Live, Work and Play (June 05)
Kiplinger's approach this year to picking the ten best cities in which to live and work was simple: Look for places with strong economies and abundant jobs, then demand reasonable living costs and plenty of fun things to do. More from Kiplinger's.

Crunching Numbers (May 29)
With residents routinely demanding information about how their tax dollars are used, local governments are searching for ways to effectively account for and report finances. Used wisely, business intelligence (BI) software can help cities and counties more accurately show financial plans. More from American City & County.

City Government Business Drives Wireless Network Implementation (May 29)
Despite the high profile collapse of deals to build and maintain large wireless networks for public Internet access in San Francisco and Philadelphia, many cities continue to express interest in building wireless networks. More from Government Technology.

Post-Bureaucratic Government (May 29)
Today's government systems were built to cure the ills of the 19th century's spoils system. But what was a good idea a hundred years ago is not what we need now. More from Governing.

Generations of Planning Commissioners (May 29)
Planning and zoning commissions need to be diverse to make sure the broad range of issues and concerns are considered. That requires commissioners who are from different parts of town, different walks of life, different ethnic backgrounds, and now, different age groups. More from Planetizen.

A Mug Full of Change (May 29)
Employees don't need another new mug with a catchy slogan. They need context. More from Governing.

ICMA TV (May 23)
ICMA TV is a web television channel dedicated to covering the events and issues of importance to International City/County Management Association (ICMA) members. The channel is regularly updated with new films, features and coverage on topics which emerge at home and overseas.

Measurement is Rarely Enough (May 23)
Performance management is more than performance measurement. To produce real results in any organization—public or private—requires performance leadership. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Easing the Pain—and Cost—of Land Use Disputes (May 23)
A new report by the Public Policy Research Institute at the University of Montana and the Consensus Building Institute, Responding to Streams of Land Use Disputes: A Systems Approach, provides strategies to help municipalities prevent land use disputes from erupting.

Receive RSS Feeds of In Focus (May 23)
We’ve added another option for you to receive information from MRSC: RSS Feeds. Simply click on the RSS button MRSC In Focus RSS Feed to create an “MRSC In Focus” folder in your email program or RSS reader. You will automatically begin receiving updates to our main Focus page, “Local Governments in the News,” the four Advisor columns, and our “What’s New” section. You can unsubscribe at any time by simply deleting the folder from your RSS reader or email program.

State Audit Report on Public Records Compliance (May 23)
The State Auditor’s Office recently released a report, Open Public Records Practices at 30 Government Entities, reviewing the performance of ten counties, ten cities, and ten state agencies in responding to public records disclosure requests.

Microsoft E-gov Tool Free for Governments (May 15)
Microsoft is making its Citizen Services Platform for creating Web-based electronic government services available for free to local and regional governments. More from Government Computer News.

Employee Benefits in State and Local Governments (May 15)
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in State and Local Government, September 2007, is the first release of data on benefits in state and local government since 1998.

Working in Wiki (May 15)
People who learn how to harness wikis and other new tools to the benefit of government, will be hailed as the next great visionaries. More from Governing.

Pushing the Envelope (May 09)
Every year, more people vote by mail. Could the hallowed American polling place be a dinosaur? More from Governing.

Competing Interests (May 09)
Toothpaste and taxes can teach us a lot about simplifying government for citizens. More from Governing.

The Power of Collaborative Innovation (May 01)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Transforming Government Through Collaborative Innovation, describes how two important tools— collaboration and innovation—can be used together to transform government in the years ahead.

Contractual Conflict of Interest Issues (May 01)
The prohibitions in chapter 42.23 RCW relating to conflicts of interest are broad in scope and may surprise you. If you are a municipal officer, it is important to take them seriously and act in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. More from Municipal Research News.

Letting It All Hang Out (May 01)
The latest political buzzword is transparency. But it may not be the cure-all it’s cracked up to be. More from Governing.

New Puget Sound Growth Management Plan Already Outgrown? (May 01)
The Puget Sound Regional Council's recently released Vision 2040 plan may have been outrun by seven years of population growth in the very outlying areas the plan is intended to protect. More from Crosscut.

Two Faces of Foreclosure (April 23)
Mortgage meltdown is a problem everywhere. In some places, it’s a disaster. More from Governing.

311/CRM Technologies Help Citizens Connect with Their Local Governments (April 17)
A new podcast from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) features a discussion how local governments are using 311 call centers and other related customer service technology systems. More from ICMA.

Helping Residents Help Themselves (April 17)
Recognizing that work does not just get done between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. anymore, many customer-service-oriented cities have created Web-based service request systems to make local government accessible any time of the day or night. More from American City & County.

Legislative Gem - Limited Liability Companies for Interlocal Agreements (April 17)
Every once in awhile a little gem appears from deep within new legislation enacted in Olympia. A recent amendment to the state Interlocal Cooperation Act will now allow local governments to form limited liability companies as the legal framework for any type of cooperative project among public agencies. More from Hugh Spitzer, Attorney, Foster Pepper PLLC

Add to Wish List (April 17)
Measuring quality of life and government performance at the same time can be tricky. But it’s possible. More from Governing.

Open Government Forum (April 17)
The William O. Douglas Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Washington State University Tri-Cities and Tri-City Herald will be hosting a forum on Washington’s open meetings and open records laws on Thursday, April 24 in Richland.

Muni Machinations (April 09)
The feds would like more control over the state and local bond market. The bond issuers don’t want them to have it. More from Governing.

Building Cities in the Virtual World (April 09)
The standard methods of outreach and collaboration that rely on traditional media, public meetings, mailings, neighborhood canvassing, and charrettes are not expected to give way anytime soon, but Web 2.0 offers creative ways to engage stakeholders who otherwise might be overlooked. More from Planning.

Small City Resource Manual Released (March 27)
AWC's recently released Small City Resource Manual provides elected and appointed officials with information on navigating the complexities of policy making, governance and operational matters.

Learning from Losers (March 27)
Politics aside, when governments seriously study their shortcomings, better management and policy often follows. More from Governing.

Beware the Dysfunctional Org Chart (March 27)
The org chart is a fiction. An attractive fiction. A comforting fiction. But a very misleading fiction. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Whose Property Rights? (March 27)
The clash between private interests and public welfare in Oregon raises a question that has vexed the nation since its founding. More from Metropolis Magazine.

Innovation: Beyond the ‘Big Bang’ (March 20)
As governments develop their strategies for innovation, they need to look beyond generating good ideas and instead begin to hone their ability to put their best ideas into practice. More from Management Insights.

National County Government Week (March 20)
It is not too late to begin planning to celebrate national County Government Week, April 6-12. More from NACo.

Libraries: Partners in Sustaining Communities (March 20)
As one of the most visible symbols of every jurisdiction’s civic presence, libraries are one of the best-known faces of local government. More from Public Management.

Locate Sample Ordinances, Contracts, RFPs (March 13)
You can use MRSC's search system to locate a wide variety of local government documents. Note the new options to the right of your search results that allow you to limit your results by agency type, population range, region, form and class of government. Watch a brief tutorial to learn more about using our advanced search features.

A Time of Testing (March 13)
The municipal bond market is dealing with uncertain times — not of its own making. More from Governing.

Forging an Open Stream (March 06)
While many local governments have begun streaming their meetings over the Internet, a growing number are also adding new indexing technology that allows citizens to search for and watch only those portions of the meetings they are most interested in. More from Governing.

Coral Springs, FL, First City to Win Baldrige Award (March 06)
Coral Springs, FL, is the first local government in the nation to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a Presidential honor that recognizes U.S. companies for organizational performance excellence. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Citizens’ Basic-Services Imperative (February 22)
Mayors have real and significant operational responsibilities. They have to pick up the garbage, plow the snow, clean the parks, and fill the potholes. If they fail to provide these very basic, very visible services, they quickly become ex-mayors. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Five Management Challenges in an Internet-Enabled World (February 22)
The Internet, along with its enabling technologies, has transformed the world and the way we live. However, like all transformations, it brings with it many unique management challenges. More from The Business of Government Magazine.

Unscripted Ending (February 22)
Public access TV now faces a more uncertain future than at any time since its inception in the 1970s. More from Governing.

Do You Really Want to be the Best? (February 14)
Cities see both benefits and drawbacks to being ranked a top place to live. More from Governing.

Reimagining Cities (February 14)
The latest issue of Science is dedicated to looking at cities, their development and the changing demographics that are shaping our urban lifestyles. More from Science Magazine.

Little Good News for Cities in President's Budget (February 14)
While there were increases for defense spending and the extension of tax cuts in the $3.1 trillion proposal, there was little good news for cities in the President's fiscal year 2009 budget proposal. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Improving Government Practices without Breaking the Bank (February 14)
These commonsense reforms prove that the perceived dilemma of having to choose higher taxes, service and staff cuts, or the politics of privatization is a false one. More from Governing.

Downgrading Spells Trouble for Muni Bonds (February 14)
Just as governments across the nation are facing declining revenues and increasing demands for services and infrastructure improvements, one of their major sources of revenue may be in jeopardy. More from NACo's County News.

Helping Families Achieve Financial Stability (February 14)
The National League of Cities' (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families has published a new action kit for municipal leaders on Helping Families Achieve Financial Stability. More from NLC.

City Hall and Religion (February 07)
The Government Innovator's Network Web site, City Hall and Religion: An Online Curriculum for Public Managers, was designed as a professional resource for mayors, and other public managers, interested in urban revitalization through cross-sector collaboration.

Blog City (January 31)
The trend of engaging residents in government through technology is reshaping the way government works. And, the newest interactive online tools are helping executives communicate with and engage constituents. More from American City & County.

Public Input, Wiki-Style (January 31)
Minneapolis is testing a fresh new approach to gathering public input. Frustrated by low attendance at public meetings, it has launched its first wiki — an online format that allows users to change the content of a document.

A Manager's Guide to Resolving Conflicts (January 24)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, A Manager's Guide to Resolving Conflicts in Collaborative Networks, addresses a critical set of skills—negotiation—needed by all managers involved in collaborative networks.

The State of the Union — Crumbling (January 24)
America's infrastructure is struggling, but from where will the funding and political will come to fix it? More from Stateline.

Issues to Watch (January 24)
In 2008, state legislatures will try to fix everything that went wrong in 2007 from collapsing bridges to mortgage foreclosures. More from Governing.

Networks for Change (January 24)
This week's guests on Smart city are deeply engaged in understanding and building powerful social networks for change. More from Smart City.

Seattle Suburb Endures Growing Pains (January 17)
Once upon a time, Kirkland, Washington, was a quiet bedroom community on the east side of Seattle. Now condos, restaurants and boutiques are popping up, attracting many high-tech employees with discretionary income. More from NPR's Morning Edition

The Hidden Tax (January 17)
When the collection of revenue is too convenient, it can lead to consequences that may or may not be intended. More from Governing.

Web Sightings 2007 (January 17)
In case you missed them, here are all of our Web Sightings for 2007:

For Whom the Road Tolls (January 17)
Here's a new way to create political support for congestion pricing on urban freeways: distribute the toll revenue to cities with the tolled freeways. More from Access.

The Meeting Morass (January 09)
There are way too many of them, they take too long and don’t accomplish much. Can meetings be fixed? More from Governing.

Leading a Net (January 09)
Think about our cities and counties—as you see them when you fly over them. A city or county today is actually a complex system of overlapping, interrelating jurisdictions—a net. More from Public Management.

More Counties Make Majority-Minority Shift (January 02)
More than 50 percent of the population of nearly one in 10 counties across the country are minorities, including African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans, according to a report released in August by the U. S. Census Bureau. More from American City & County.

Newly Elected Officials Information (December 20)
MRSC's Newly Elected Officials Web page includes links to several helpful resources for newly elected local government officials including basic legal guidelines, selected library material and training workshops.

Extreme Government Makeover (December 20)
What can we learn from the George Foreman grill, Southwest Airlines and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"? More from Governing.

I-747 Reinstated (November 30)
During a one-day special session, the Washington Legislature approved House Bill 2416, as requested by Governor Gregoire, reinstating the provisions of Initiative 747 retroactively to 2002, restoring the 1% limit on property tax increases. The Governor signed the legislation Thursday night making it effective immediately.

"Feeling Heard" a Key Factor in Citizen Participation (November 20)
The recurring theme among all cities that successfully involve citizens in the government process is that citizens feel heard. More from MuniNetGuide.

Engaging Citizens in Measuring/Reporting on Community Conditions (November 06)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, "Engaging Citizens in Measuring and Reporting Community Conditions: A Manager's Guide," (Adobe Acrobat Document 2.98 MB) presents two case studies where government agencies and citizen groups reported their own or their government's performance respectively.

Build, Crumble and Build More (October 31)
Why don’t we fix old roads and bridges? Because it’s more fun to make new ones. More from Governing.

Federal Aid to State and Local Governments (October 23)
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released their Federal Aid to States for Fiscal Year 2005 (Adobe Acrobat Document1321 KB) report containing federal agency and program-level data on grants to state and local governments.

King County Recognized for Government Innovation (October 17)
King County is among the winners of this year’s Innovations in American Government Awards at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. More from NACo's County News.

Report on Baltimore's CitiStat Program (October 10)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, "What All Mayors Would Like to Know About Baltimore’s CitiStat Performance Strategy," summarizes and presents the questions most frequently posed to citiStat staff and to Mayor Martin O'Malley. More from the IBM Center for the Business of Government.

Trend Points to Neighborhood Privatization (October 10)
While a complete change in the structure of local government is unlikely in the near future, the trend toward private neighborhood ownership is becoming increasingly evident. More from MuniNet Guide.

Counties Eye Outcome of Key Ballot Measures (October 03)
2007 is an off-year for initiatives and referendums in most states, but voters in the Pacific Northwest will consider several ballot measures on Nov. 6 that will affect counties — positively and negatively. More from NACo's County News.

Tune in to NLC TV (September 19)
The National League of Cities (NLC), in partnership with TV Worldwide, recently launched an Internet-based TV channel, NLC TV, in an effort to communicate the latest news, issues and views of the more than 19,000 cities, villages and towns it represents.

Web Sightings - Washington City/County History Links (September 19)
Web Sightings - Washington City/County History Links If you want to learn more about Washington local government history, take a look at these timely links:

County Officials Pessimistic about Nation’s Course (August 28)
Fifty-five percent of county elected officials believe the nation is on the "wrong track," the highest percentage in the four-year history of NACo’s National County Elected Officials Poll. More from NACo's County News.

Mayor Uses Blog as Powerful Communication Tool (August 28)
Bill Gentes – the mayor of Round Lake, Illinois, says starting a blog is the smartest thing he’s done as a local government official. More from MuniNet Guide.

More Than 300 Counties Now "Majority-Minority" (August 28)
Nearly one in every 10 of the nation’s 3,141 counties has a population that is more than 50 percent minority. More from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blogging Revolution (August 01)
A recent report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government,"The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0, (Adobe Acrobat Document7.2MB) examines the phenomenon of blogging as a tool for promoting not only online engagement of citizens and public servants, but also offline engagement.

Preparations for 2010: Is the Census Bureau Ready for the Job Ahead? (July 23)
Brooking's Metropolitan Policy Program Fellow, Andrew Reamer, emphasized the importance of the decennial Census to the nation and assessed the readiness of the federal government for the 2010 census in testimony before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Read testimony. (108 KB)

Developing Existing Talent to Ensure a Future Leadership Pipeline (July 23)
What can local governments do to prepare the next generation of leaders and to develop individuals already in the leadership pipeline? Read more from ICMA.

NLC Launches Monthly Newscasts for Municipal Governments (July 16)
The National League of Cities (NLC) is launching www.nlctv.org, an Internet-based TV channel about and for cities. NLC TV is also premiering its first monthly newscast, which will showcase the latest news about cities and the views of city officials on the pressing issues of the day. Read Press Release

Overcoming the Digital Divide to Compete in a New Economy (July 10)
A white paper, Power Up: The Campaign for Digital Inclusion, addresses how municipal governments are growing inclusive digital communities to prepare citizens for success, from Microsoft Government.

The Blogging Revolution: Government in the Age of Web 2.0 (June 29)
An examination of blogging; a growing tool for promoting online and offline engagement of citizens and public servants. Th author, David C. Wyld develops a set of lessons learned and a checklist of best practices for public managers interested in following in their footsteps. Read the Report from the IBM Center for Business and Government

Washington Model Rules for Disclosure of Electronic Records (June 28)
After an extended period of review, during which substantial public comment was solicited, the Model Rules dealing with public disclosure of electronic records have been issued. These additions to the current Model Rules will go into effect on July 16, 2007. We suggest that you print out a copy and keep them handy. Link to the new rules.

A Blueprint for National Prosperity (June 26)
Our next president needs to have a blueprint for national prosperity that builds on the economic assets of our metropolitan areas and the cities within them. Read more from the Brookings Metro Program What Matters Column

Serving Diverse Communities — Best Practices (June 19)
Across the nation, local communities are experiencing rapid growth of diverse ethnic populations. Along with this growth comes an inevitable clash of cultures.  What is the best way to provide services to growing diverse populations? What practices are most effective?  See Public Management Cover Story for June

Urban Institute Report Assessing Federalism and Social Policy (June 11)
The recent publication explores what ULI's Assessing the New Federalism (ANF) project work can tell about the evolution of federalism within five major social programs during the nine years between 1997 and 2006.  Summary and Complete Report.

New ICMA Center for State and Local Government Excellence (June 04)
ICMA-RC and ICMA  announced the formation of the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, whose mission is to help state and local governments become competitive employers. The Center also seeks to promote careers in state and local government.  View the Press Release and the CSLGE Web site

The Tacit Knowledge of Leadership (May 30)
You can no more teach someone to be a leader than you can teach someone to ride a bike. You can only help them to learn. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Get Ahead of the Age Wave with Smart Growth (May 15)
The "age wave" created as the baby boom generation moves through the demographic cohorts is threatening to swamp communities across the country. More from Smart Growth Online.

The Listening Post (May 09)
One of the toughest things for states or localities to do is get bona fide input from citizens on how they’re doing. More from Governing.

Diversity Training Helps Local Inclusiveness (May 09)
Many municipalities are taking a proactive approach to promoting inclusion and preventing discrimination by using diversity trainings for city staff. Diversity trainings address tensions, enhance understanding among personnel and improve service to community residents. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Smart City - Transforming Anchor Institutions (May 01)
What would happen if every anchor institution in your city -- your universities, libraries, parks, major sports facilities, and museums -- were in perfect alignment around a few big goals, contributing their maximum to your city's success and their own? More from Smart City.

Well Served (April 24)
Streaming video is coming of age as more local government Web sites are hosting live and on-demand videos of public meetings, employee training and public education programs. More from American City & County.

Polling the Populace (April 10)
Citizen surveys are an increasingly popular tool for soliciting feedback on policies, programs and priorities. More from Governing.

Web Sightings – Citizen Boards and Commissions (February 22)
Web Sightings – Citizen Boards and Commissions Local governments appoint citizen boards, commissions, task forces, and committees to advise their legislative bodies on a wide range of policy issues. Citizen Boards and Commissions are the focus of this month's Web Sightings.

Washington Cities and Counties

Serving Constituents, Saving Dollars (February 22)
The service delivery and process efficiencies that can be gained from a Constituent Relationship Management system can increase a government's savings beyond the hard-dollar savings from call center consolidation. More from Government Finance Review (Adobe Acrobat Document5KB).

Locals Prepare for the Silver Tsunami (February 14)
Cities and counties are preparing for a "silver tsunami" of retiring baby boomers by taking a closer look at their service needs — including housing, transportation, health, safety and volunteer opportunities — and adding programs and facilities to meet them. More from American City & County.

The Responsibility to Craft Purposes (February 06)
Leaders, whether by exercising formal authority or by taking the intitiative, mold people's beliefs, thoughts, and desires into a coherent whole--a strategy that they can collectively pursue. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Local Governments Benefit by Participation in the 2010 Census (February 06)
The U.S. Census Bureau has begun mailing informational booklets to all state, local and tribal governments asking for their assistance in providing updated addresses for their communities, part of an early, concerted effort to make the 2010 Census as accurate as possible. More from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Resilient City (January 31)
Resilience is a quality that is greatly underrated in successful cities. This week's guests on Smart City are making their own special contributions to understanding how to make cities resilient.

100-Hour Agenda Holds Little for Local Government Issues (January 23)
When the 109th Congress left town in November 2006 it also left unattended scores of issues important to county governments and the citizens they serve. More from NACo's County News.

Mandates Can't Force Good Behavior (January 23)
Rules can prevent bad behavior. But they are not as useful at producing good behavior. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report (Adobe Acrobat Document106KB).

Smart City - Strategic Thinking for Cities (January 23)
This week's guests on Smart City make their living thinking about the future and its implications for cities and for business. More from Smart City.

Crown Communities Award Winners (January 23)
American City & County's Crown Communities Awards recognize the extra steps local governments take that have lasting effects on residents, businesses and the environment. More from American City & County.

NCSL's Top 10 Policy Issue Forecast (January 18)
The heat is on in the public policy kitchen as the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recently released its predictions on the key issues for 2007 that includes a mix of issues from immigration, state-issued identification cards, state revenues, health insurance, privacy, and others. More from NCSL.

In Focus for Councilmembers and Commissioners (January 10)
MRSC's free bi-weekly In Focus e-newsletter is an excellent way for Washington councilmembers and commissioners to stay informed about the latest news, research, events and trends affecting Washington city and county governments. View a sample issue and subscribe today!

Seven Big Lessons for Local Governments (January 10)
Otis White shares his list of "seven big lessons for local governments" based on some 1200 "Urban Notebook" columns he has written for Governing Magazine.

NACo's County Codes and Ordinances (January 10)
The National Association of Counties’ (NACo) "County Codes and Ordinances" Web page offers a access to a large collection of county codes and ordinances pertaining to selected subject areas.

Unloading Assets (January 10)
Cities and states are selling off bits and pieces of infrastructure. Is it a sweet deal or a mistake? More from Governing.

Ten Noteworthy Trends of 2006 (January 03)
The Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program reviews the ten most noteworthy trends affecting urban America in 2006. More from Brookings.

Blackout (January 03)
Big-city newspapers aren’t telling citizens the things they need to know. More from Governing.

Who Is the Most Influential Mayor in America? (December 28)
When we look back on this period in American urban history, two things will stand out: the amazing turnabout in the center cities and the surprising quality of big-city mayors. More from Civic Strategies.

Citizen Participation - In Their Own Words (December 28)
With an array of new communication technology available — such as e-mail, Web forms and blogs — residents have numerous ways to express their opinions about local politics and participate in their government. More from American City & County.

City and Suburban Poverty Trends 1999-2005 (December 12)
A recent study by the Brookings Institution found that for the first time in 2005 there are more poor residents of suburbs than central cities. More from the Brookings Institution.

Lessons in Innovation (December 12)
Cities have always been hotbeds of innovation. This week's Smart City guests offer perspectives on innovation both from the past and the future. More from Smart City.

Voters Restrict Eminent Domain Powers, Nix TABOR Laws (November 22)
While the country’s eyes were fixed on the change of power at the federal level, voters also cast their ballots on a variety of significant initiatives, referendums and constitutional amendments. More from NACo's County News.

Citizens Cast Ballots to Control Their Future (November 14)
Despite influence and pressure from various non-resident groups, citizens in several states voted to control their own futures on Election Day last week. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

America's Young Adults Make Their Mark (November 14)
According to the Harvard University Institute of Politics 11th Biannual Youth Survey on Politics and Public Service, the "9/11" generation sees a distinction between community volunteerism and political engagement, with a majority finding a more effective role as a volunteer. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

How Cultural Heritage Organizations Serve Communities (November 14)
Across the United States, nonprofit cultural heritage organizations serve communities by helping people to remember their shared experiences and aspirations, building and sustaining a sense of community through fairs, folklife programs, public celebrations of music, food, and holidays. More from the Urban Institute.

Takings Measures Assault Municipal and Home Rule Authority (October 25)
For those of us who value the role of local government, it is troubling to see anti-government groups aggressively promoting state legislation and initiatives that fundamentally undermine the ability of cities and towns to provide services. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Tuning in to New Media (October 25)
The use of new media, particularly by young people, challenges conventional wisdom in many fields - education, social engagement, civic participation. This recent Smart City radio show focuses on new media and how they may change our most familiar habits and institutions.

An Exit Strategy for Local Governments (October 17)
What services or subsidies should cities get out of? Ask yourself this question: 'If we were not in this already, would we now go into it?' And if the answer is 'no,' the next question should be: 'How do we get out and how fast?' More from Civic Strategies.

Cities Cautiously Optimistic About Fiscal Health (October 17)
Like the millions of Americans they represent, U.S. cities were able to pay their bills this year, but are concerned about how rising costs will affect their long-term financial stability, according to a report released last week by the National League of Cities. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

What Comes After Incorporation? (October 11)
After a city is formed comes the hard work of creating a government, bolstering the tax base and building a reliable set of public services. And then what? If new cities in the Seattle area are a guide, next comes the search for distinctiveness. More from Civic Strategies.

Scrutiny by the People (October 11)
Washington State is making a big push to get citizens more involved in the performance auditing process. More from Governing.

The Mayor-Manager Merger (October 03)
Council-manager cities and strong-mayor cities aren’t polar opposites anymore. Most cities have aspects of both systems. More from Governing.

How Local Government Managers See Leadership Differently (October 03)
If you want to understand what leadership really is, why not ask local government managers? A recent research project did just that. More from Public Management Magazine.

Broken Promises, HAVA Requirements Costing Counties Millions (September 26)
Amid the swirl of controversy over electronic voting equipment that many counties are using for the first time this year to comply with the Help America Vote Act, one thing is clear - the technology doesn’t come cheap. More from NACo's County News.

Special Report: Regional Thinking (September 26)
The Denver metropolitan area has been a model of regional cooperation, with municipalities and counties working together to improve infrastructure and accommodate growth. More from Urban Land.

The Changing Role of Business Leaders in American Cities (September 20)
A new paper from the Brookings Institution, Corporate Citizenship and Urban Problem Solving: The Changing Civic Role of Business Leaders in American Cities (Adobe Acrobat Document 175kb), describes how shifting economic forces have diminished the capacity of business-led civic organizations, potentially stripping cities of a significant advocate.

Citizen Engagement - Cost of Services (September 20)
Redmond's Fall 2006 Focus publication featuring a "Budget Primer" (Adobe Acrobat Document 131kb) that compares the cost in 2000 for things like new aerial ladder trucks, traffic signals, and the cost of an overnight stay in jail, to their cost in 2006, is a simple and effective way to communicate with citizens about the cost of local government services.

County Officials Bullish on Economy, Split on Immigration (September 06)
Balancing county budgets was easier in 2006 than in the past few years, and county elected officials were more upbeat about the economy, according to the 2006 National County Elected Officials Poll. More from NACo's County News.

Kids in the City (August 22)
A new report from the Brookings Institution examines the well-being of children in cities, including changes since Census 2000, finding that in 2004 more than 25 percent of children in large cities were poor. More from the Brookings Institution.

Myth or Fact? Citizen Engagement Tool (August 22)
Spokane Valley's "Myth or Fact" Web page asks citizens if they have heard something about the city and wondered if it's true. Citizens can submit their questions via email and the city then posts a response explaining whether the rumor is myth or fact.

Urban Discourse (August 15)
An unorthodox project encourages the residents of Portland to participate in the shaping of their city. More from Metropolis Magazine.

New Web Page - Initiative 933 (August 01)
Our new I-933 Web page contains information on the proposed "property fairness" initiative, including links to resources posted by proponents and opponents.

The Fine Art of Reporting Results (August 01)
A growing number of localities are experimenting with alternatives to annual financial reports to inform citizens about government performance. More from Governing.

AWC Recognizes Winning Cities (July 26)
The Association of Washington Cities recently announced its 2006 Municipal Achievement, Diversity Champion and WellCity award winners. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Warning: eVoting Ahead (July 18)
From local election officials to ordinary citizens, there’s angst in the air over the security of electronic ballots. More from Governing.

Official Population Figures Released by OFM (July 13)
The April 1, 2006 population figures (Adobe Acrobat Document104kb), used for distribution of state-shared revenues, have been released by the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM).

Moving to Performance-Based Management (July 13)
By creating learning environments in which performance measures are regularly reviewed and discussed, organizations can improve the rapidity of learning and decision making, improve performance, and facilitate broader cultural change. More from Government Finance Review (Adobe Acrobat Document4mb).

Putting Democracy Front & Center (July 13)
New tools and techniques for visualization, impact analysis, scenario planning, and citizen engagement allow individuals to exert a powerful influence on the planning process and final outcomes. More from Planning Magazine.

Property Tax Favoritism (July 13)
Property tax regimes and land-use schemes that do not consider — and that effectively hinder — denser development may be obsolete policy, avoiding new realities and favoring a lifestyle possible for fewer of our citizens. More from Governing.

Information Technology - The One-Two Punch (July 13)
The challenge of making government information readily available to employees and the public while maintaining its security continues to present a conundrum for the public sector. More from American City & County.

Washington's State and Local Taxes Ranked 29th-Lowest in Country (June 20)
Washington's state and local taxes were the 29th-lowest in the country during Fiscal Year 2004, according to figures just published by the U.S. Census Bureau. More from the Washington State Department of Revenue.

Burien Leaders Embrace Diversity as a City Asset (June 20)
The City of Burien is using its equity agenda to address a classic American challenge: how to meld disparate groups into a cohesive community. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

City Practices Database (June 13)
The National City Network's searchable "City Practices Database" contains information on over 2,200 programs from around the country that cities have implemented on a variety of issues from after school programs to transportation initiatives.

Harnessing the Wisdom of the Crowds (June 13)
Governments wanting to improve innovation and decision-making in the public sector should build mechanisms to aggregate information and knowledge from diverse groups of citizens. More from Management Insights.

Web Sightings - Public-Private Partnerships (June 06)
To augment limited public funding resources, local governments are collaborating with private businesses to provide a range of projects, including transportation and parks facilities and economic development activities. The topic for this month's Web Sightings is Public-Private partnerships:

Eliminating Silos in Government (May 31)
Despite many state and local officials lamenting the problem of silos in their governments, many still exist. More from Management Insights.

New Law Authorizes Posting of Interlocal Agreements (May 24)
A new state law (Ch 32, Laws of 2006) provides, as an alternative to filing interlocal agreements with the county auditor, that public agencies may now post them on their web site or other electronically retrievable public source. More from MRSC.

Neil Peirce - The May 1 Demonstrations: Historic Turning Point? (May 24)
History may well record May 1, the day hundreds of thousands of legal and undocumented Hispanics and their allies turned out in the massive, unified pro-immigrant demonstrations across the continent, as a critical turning point. More from the Washington Post Writers Group.

Coming Soon - The Council/Commission Advisor (May 16)
MRSC has joined with Carl Neu, Director of the Center for the Future of Local Governance, P. Stephen DiJulio of the Foster Pepper & Shefelman law firm, and Paul McClintock, Professional Registered Parliamentarian, to bring you a new monthly "Council/Commission Advisor" column. MRSC's first Council/Commission Advisor column is coming soon.

After the Rescue Workers go Home (May 10)
In the aftermath of a disaster, when the news media has left and the rescue workers have gone home, the process of rebuilding begins. How does a community pick up the pieces and move forward? More from Public Management.

Financial Management - Raising Revenues (May 10)
Since 2001, half of the nation's cities have raised new revenues to address gaps created by rising employee health care and pension costs, and increases in public safety and infrastructure needs. More from American City & County.

It's the Network (May 10)
The National League of Cities' (NLC) "National Cities Network" Web site is designed to be a gateway for cities and towns countrywide to learn about city issues and share information. More from Government Technology.

Toil and Trouble (April 26)
Illegal immigrants working as day laborers present one of the toughest, most divisive issues to land on local government’s doorstep in recent years. More from Governing.

Study: People Look to Local Leadership to Reduce Poverty (April 26)
A survey of eight states in the Northwest released last month by the Northwest Area Foundation showed that residents of the Northwest strongly believe that their local elected officials have an important role to play in reducing poverty. More from NACo's County News.

NLC Report Defines New Typology for Cities (April 18)
A report from the National League of Cities (NLC), From Meltingpot Cities to Boomtowns: Redefining How We Talk about America’s Cities (Adobe Acrobat Document1141kb), analyzes data from nearly 1,000 cities and defines a new typology for cities to assist policy makers and researchers.

Where Did All the Books Go? (April 18)
If you were worried about the future of libraries, relax. In many places, these are boom times for library construction. Just one thing, though: Don't expect to find many books in these new buildings. More from Civic Strategies.

Web Sightings - Youth Programs (April 12)
Local government youth and teen programs include youth councils, recreational programs, crime prevention programs, and educational activities. Youth programs are the focus of this month's Web Sightings:

General Links

Washington State Programs

Washington Local Government Programs

Trust, Leadership, and Courage: Keys to Local Innovation (April 12)
Robert O’Neill, ICMA Executive Director, brings his broad experience in local government to answer the question, "What does it take to innovate at the local level?" More from Governing.

It’s Broke — Fix It (April 12)
Is American federalism, a remarkable invention by our founders to keep a new nation from splintering, up to the challenges of the 21st century? More from Governing.

Ten Public Involvement "Hot Spots" (April 04)
While most public involvement strategies offer positive results for all, some efforts are not as effective as sponsors and participants would like. California's Institute for Local Government offers ten public involvement "hot spots" where extra attention may mean the difference between success and failure.

Tracking Team (April 04)
If the physical condition of a neighborhood is a significant indicator of its overall health, then few cities in the country are taking the measure of neighborhood well-being quite as accurately as Worcester, Massachusetts. More from Governing.

Federal Way Outreach Program Wins Top National Award (March 29)
The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, a constituency group of the National League of Cities, recently honored the City of Federal Way in its annual City Cultural Diversity Awards. Federal Way won a coveted 1st place award for its Korean Outreach Program. More from the City of Federal Way.

Innovations in American Government Awards (March 29)
The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government -- in cooperation with the Council for Excellence in Government -- recently announced its picks for the Top 50 Government Innovations for 2006. More from Government Technology.

Comprehensive E-Government Bibliography (March 29)
The E-Governance Institute at Rutgers University's National Center for Public Productivity has compiled a comprehensive collection of articles, papers, and books on the subject of electronic government. More from the E-Governance Institute.

Survey Shows Mounting City Concerns (March 21)
According to the National League of Cities' annual State of America’s Cities Survey, municipal officials are feeling increasingly optimistic about their city’s fiscal health, but are concerned about mounting health care costs, increasing traffic and a shortage of affordable housing. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Smart City - What Makes Cities Successful? (March 21)
This week's Smart City radio show guests talk about the characteristics of successful cities, one with a very local view and the other with a global outlook.

Census Bureau Report on the Effects of Affirmative Action (March 16)
A report from the U.S. Census Bureau, Affirmative Action: What Do We Know? (Adobe Acrobat Document117kb), reviews the research evidence on the effects of affirmative action in employment, university admissions and government procurement.

Financing Infrastructure - The Big Thaw (March 16)
Voters may be coming around to the idea that government needs their money to keep public works up to speed. More from Governing.

New Computer Based, Multi-Media Support for Local Access Channels (March 07)
"Telvue Virtual Television Networks," a new cable network of local-government access channels, is using the convenience of the Internet and the popularity of television to help municipalities better communicate with their residents. To learn more, visit www.tvtn.tv.

Mad About State Mandates (February 22)
Minnesota's Mandate Reform Proposals Web site gives local government officials a place to vent their frustrations about state mandates they believe are in need of reform or repeal.

One-Fifth of the Nation: America's First Suburbs (February 22)
Neither fully urban nor completely suburban, America's older, inner-ring, "first" suburbs have a unique set of challenges. More from the Brookings Institution.

A Manager's Guide to Citizen Engagement (February 14)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, "Public Deliberation: A Manager’s Guide to Citizen Engagement," (Adobe Acrobat Document605kb) documents a range of tools and techniques to increase citizens’ involvement in communities and government.

Pandemic Flu - Continuity of Government (January 31)
Seattle and King County's Pandemic Flu Web page offers information on continuity of government issues that should be addressed by local agencies.

Moving from Outputs to Outcomes (January 31)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Moving from Outputs to Outcomes: Practical Advice from Governments Around the World, identifies what needs to be done in terms of both small steps and large steps that have had success in reorienting government systems to an outcome approach.

All America City Award Application Deadline Approaching (January 31)
Cities and communities interested in applying for the National Civic League's All-America City Award have until March 9 to put their hats in the ring for the prestigious community award. More from the National Civic League.

Report on Community Programs that Support Children and Youth (January 25)
A recent report from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) identifies the most important youth issues among local governments and discusses innovative programs that have been designed to address them. More from ICMA.

New MRSC Initiative and Referendum Guide (January 25)
MRSC's newly revised Initiative and Referendum Guide for Washington Cities and Charter Counties (Adobe Acrobat Document306kb) provides an overview of initiative and referendum powers as they are exercised in cities and charter counties of the state of Washington.

New Ask MRSC E-newsletter (January 18)
Ask MRSC is a free, subscription-based, monthly e-mail newsletter featuring answers to selected questions received by our consultant staff. It's one more way for you to stay informed on current issues affecting city and county government. View a sample issue or go directly to our subscription page and sign up to receive Ask MRSC today. It's free!

Baldrige Award Comes to State and Local Government (January 18)
Beginning in 2006, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program will expand to state and local government with a one year pilot program.

Web Sightings 2005 (January 18)
In case you missed them, here's a look back at 2005's Web Sightings:

New Technology for Public Engagement (January 11)
The British are coming, and this time they’re bringing a new communications technology to help local officials with an age-old problem: getting important information to constituents accurately and conveniently. More from Public Management.

2006-2007 Directory of Washington City and Town Officials (January 05)
The 2006-2007 Directory of Washington City and Town Officials should be available for distribution in mid-February. Each city and town will receive a copy in the mail. Others may purchase a paper copy or database file by submitting an order form (Adobe Acrobat Document28 KB) (pre-payment required). You can also purchase online using our credit card order form.

Issues to Watch (January 04)
As legislatures in most states come back into session this month, their members will be spending an unusual amount of time dealing with issues that involve other levels of government. More from Governing.

Learning to Think and Act Like a Region (December 28)
Planning across boundaries - or regional collaboration - is slowly emerging as an essential component of land policy and planning in the twenty-first century. More from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Smart City - What Makes Cities Successful? (December 20)
Sean Safford and Saskia Sassen from the University of Chicago talk about critical factors for successful cities in this week's Smart City radio show.

King County Parks Taking Citizen Feedback Online (December 20)
King County parks users now have an open line to parks managers when they fill out an Internet survey at the county's parks and recreation survey site. More from Government Technology.

The Role of Local Government in Smart Growth (December 20)
A new report, "Public Sector Leadership: The Role of Local Government in Smart Growth," (Adobe Acrobat Document956kb) prepared by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), examines the role of public sector leadership on growth and development issues.

Let's Outsource the Whole City! (December 15)
Are there limits to what local governments can contract out? We may know soon. An Atlanta suburb has decided to privatize virtually its entire government, and it has turned to a single company (CH2M Hill) to manage everything from tax collection to street maintenance. More from Civic Strategies.

NLC's National City Network (December 15)
The National City Network, a service of the National League of Cities (NLC), is an easy-to-use comprehensive resource that connects city leaders and engaged citizens with the knowledge needed to build stronger communities.

2005 Digital Cities Survey (December 15)
The Center for Digital Government recently announced the results of its fifth annual Digital Cities Survey. The survey examines and assesses how city governments are utilizing information technology to operate and deliver quality service to their customers and citizens.

NLC's Youth-Only Website (December 06)
The "Youth as City Leaders" website, created by the National League of Cities' (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, will be a place for high-school aged youth who are involved in city government to meet, share ideas and receive advice. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

New Policy Brief on Block Grants (December 06)
A new Brookings Institution policy brief, "Block Grants: Flexibility vs. Stability in Social Services," reviews from the the history of federal block grants for social services, the academic literature examining block grant outcomes, and recent federal proposals.

Citizens in Edmonds can "Ask the Attorney" (December 01)
The "Ask the Attorney" feature on the City of Edmond's Web site gives citizens the opportunity to ask questions and get answers about local issues from the city attorney.

Seattle Tops in Internet Literacy (December 01)
Seattle ranks as the country’s top Internet literate city, one of the factors that helped it become the most literate city in 2005, according to an annual study. More from Federal Computer Week.

Local Leadership in a World of Shared Power (November 17)
For whom do local government leaders work? Not long ago, this question would have seemed irrelevant because the answer was obvious. More from Public Management Magazine.

Virtual Village Square (November 08)
What does it take to transform a lackluster municipal Web site into a vibrant community meeting place? More from Government Technology.

We're All in This Together (November 08)
The suburbs are far more tied to their cities than most believe. More from Civic Strategies.

Smart City - The Future of Civic Engagement (November 03)
As business mergers and acquisitions accelerate and business becomes more global, communities are wondering where the next crop of civic leaders will come from. Guests on this week's Smart City™ radio show talk about the future of civic engagement.

King County Unveils Online Customized Voter Guide (November 03)
King County's new online voter guide allows voters to verify their registration, find their polling place and get information on county, city and ballot measures customized to their address. More from Government Technology.

Performance Audits - Time for a Check Up (November 03)
An independent performance audit can help an agency deliver services more efficiently and effectively. More from Governing.

Cities 101 (October 25)
The National League of Cities' "Cities 101" Web page offers a variety of information to introduce and explain municipal government in the United States.

Complying with HAVA Mandates (October 25)
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) imposes numerous mandates on states and counties related to the administration of federal elections. Most of these requirements kick in on Jan. 1, 2006. More from NACo's County News.

Smart City - Leaders on the Front Line (October 19)
Beverly O'Neill, President, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Don Borut, Executive Director, National League of Cities, talk about the most pressing challenges cities face and what municipal leaders are doing to respond on this week's Smart City Radio show.

Citizen Priorities for Thurston County Government (October 19)
Through their "Citizen Priorities for Thurston County Government" project, Thurston County hopes to better understand which programs and services county residents most want their county government to concentrate on in the coming years.

Katrina's Window: Confronting Concentrated Poverty in America (October 19)
Hurricane Katrina's assault on New Orleans' most vulnerable residents and neighborhoods has reinvigorated a dialogue on race and class in America. More from The Brookings Institution.

Smart City - Resilient Cities (October 11)
What gives a city the ability to re-group and come back from natural disaster and human tragedies stronger than before? This week's guests on Smart City™ talk about what makes a city resilient.

The Epidemic of Fear (October 05)
Fear is a constant presence in America's cities, now filled with surveillance cameras, bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors. But are our fears warranted? Dr. Marc Siegel, this week's guest on Smart City™, says it's a false alarm and challenges what he calls our epidemic of fear.

Where'd All the Bankers Go? (September 27)
Thirty years ago, if you had made a list of the top 10 leaders of any city, it's likely that one or two of them would have been bankers. And today? Probably nary a one. Where did they all go? More from Civic Strategies, Inc.

Collaboration Between Cities and Schools is Key to Reform (September 27)
Although each community and school district has its own specific needs, challenges in every jurisdiction can be addressed through more effective collaboration between cities and their schools. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Katrina Calls Attention to Race and Poverty in Cities (September 21)
Hurricane Katrina's effects on the city of New Orleans and other communities in the Gulf Coast are shining a spotlight on issues of race, poverty, inequality, and class in America's cities. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Smart City - Improving Schools and Family Circumstances (September 21)
Two of the most vexing problems cities face are how to improve their schools and how to improve family incomes for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. This week's guests on Smart City™ talk about new approaches to improving schools and family circumstances.

America's Megapolitan Areas (August 30)
Regional economies clearly extend beyond an individual metropolitan area, and the megapolitan concept suggests a new geography to show how these economies are linked. More from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Budgeting for Basics: The Changing Landscape of City Finances (August 24)
A new study from the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program examines the finances of 162 cities from 1977-the year before California's momentous Proposition 13 tax cut sparked a national property tax revolt-to 2000. More from the Brookings Institution.

Study Ranks America’s Most Liberal and Conservative Cities (August 24)
A new nationwide study released by the nonpartisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research ranks the political leanings of every American city and finds that Detroit, Michigan is the most liberal and Provo, Utah the most conservative. More from Govpro.

2005 National Main Street Award Winners Announced (August 24)
The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently announced the winners of the 2005 National Main Street Awards.

Smart City - The Growth of Cities (August 16)
Headlines from newspapers around the country recently reported news from the Census Bureau that the resurgence of cities has ended and their populations are now declining. Is the Census Bureau correct? Find out from this week's guests on Smart City™.

Smart Growth and the Internet (August 16)
As the Internet revolution moves into full bloom, there is every reason to believe it could have a dramatic impact on the architecture and landscape of communities throughout the world. More from Government Technology.

Innovations in American Government Award Winners Announced (August 16)
Six groundbreaking government initiatives have won the Innovations in American Government Award sponsored by Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. More from Government Technology.

America's Crumbling Infrastructure--And How to Fix It (August 16)
The American Society of Civil Engineers recently judged the country on 15 infrastructure categories and awarded the U.S. an overall grade of "D," estimating that $1.6 trillion needs to be invested in the next five years to solve current and looming infrastructure problems. More from Metropolis Magazine.

The Mega-City Maker (August 16)
Interstates created mega regions, and mega regions will change how we see this country and its transportation needs. More from Governing.

Coming Soon - New Finance Advisor Column (July)
MRSC has joined with Toni Nelson, Small Cities Specialist, State Auditor's Office, Gayla Gjertsen, Finance Director, City of Tumwater, and Mike Bailey, Finance Director, City of Lynnwood, to bring you a new monthly "Finance Advisor" column. MRSC's first Finance Advisor column is coming soon.

Do More Police = Less Crime? (July 19)
This may sound like a dumb question, but if your city could put more police officers on the street would it mean less crime? Thanks to a pair of enterprising academics, now we know. More from Civic Strategies.

Inventing Civic Solutions (July 19)
"Inventing Civic Solutions," from the Pew Partnership, is a how-to guide on launching and sustaining successful community programs. More from the Pew Partnership.

Smart City - Imagining New Futures for Cities (July 13)
How do you cut through the status quo and imagine a different future? This week's guests on Smart City™ have successfully answered that question, one as mayor and one as civic entrepreneur.

Privatized Neighborhoods: The Future We Want? (July 13)
Don’t let the recent Supreme Court decision on the New London, Conn., eminent domain case fool you — the powers of local governments aren’t expanding, they’re actually receding. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

A New Movement for Civic Renewal (July 06)
Robert Putnam outlines a multi-pronged approach to reverse civic declines and to begin a new journey toward civic renewal. More from Public Management.

Management - Loving a Loser (July 06)
Award-winning programs usually spawn copycats, but there may be good ideas to replicate from innovative projects that falter. More from Governing.

Tax Policies to Help Working Families in Cities (July 06)
The significant link between federal tax policies and the welfare of households in cities should be receiving more attention from urban leaders and federal policy makers. More from the Brookings Institution.

Financial Management - Speaking Their Minds (June 29)
Some cities and counties are discovering that involving residents early in the budgeting process can lead to numerous benefits, such as increased public trust. More from American City & County.

Unfunded Mandates Drain Local Coffers (June 21)
The Washington-based U.S. Conference of Mayors and other local associations are drafting new legislation that could potentially give state and local governments greater protection from the long arm of federal law. More from American City & County.

Slow Adoption Restricting Federal eGovernment's Future (June 21)
Citizen adoption of e-government is low and progress has slowed as agency heads, CIOs, and program managers are faced with increasing obstacles to widespread adoption of the Web for government initiatives. More from Government Technology.

New Standards for Voting Equipment in Development (June 15)
When President George W. Bush signed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in October 2002, county officials greeted the new law with a combination of relief and consternation. More from NACo’s County News.

Bond Measures - Spreading the Word (June 07)
To break through the political advertising clutter and build support for a bond program, cities and counties should consider a grassroots campaign that focuses on how the program will affect residents. More from American City & County.

For the Record (June 01)
As governments increasingly rely on electronic information systems, the ability to produce digital records has far outstripped their ability to manage and preserve them, raising difficult new questions about how to maintain a complete account of government activities. More from Government Technology.

Law of the Land (June 01)
Voters' challenge to Oregon's stringent land use controls may signal a major shift in the property rights debate nationwide. More from Governing (Adobe Acrobat Document41kb).

Smart City - Making Winning Decisions (May 24)
Is there a formula for making winning decisions? A secret to change? Most cities could use a little help in those areas, and this week’s guests on Smart City™ are experts on the topic of winning decision strategies.

Public Participation Workshop (May 18)
The University of Washington is offering a new 3-day interactive workshop on the art and science of public involvement, June 15-17, 2005.

Blogs for Local Governments (May 09)
For a very small investment in terms of time and money, blogs can deliver a positive return in encouraging citizen participation. More from Government Technology.

Unfunded Mandates - It Pays to Complain (April 25)
A decade after federal lawmakers passed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) — legislation to curtail unfunded mandates — Congress is re-examining the law. More from American City & County.

Schools & City Collaborate On New Joint-Use Primary Center (April 19)
School districts and cities too often operate independently, as within silos, when making capitol investment in public facilities. But, the city and school district of Pasadena are proving themselves exceptional as they collaboratively explore creating a new community-centered, mixed-use, family friendly school facility. More from New Schools Better Neighborhoods.

Which U.S. Cities Have the Longest Commutes? (April 06)
Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year, according to U.S. Census Bureau. For the nation as a whole, the average daily commute to work lasted about 24.3 minutes in 2003. More from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Northwest Income Indicators Project (April 06)
Washington State University's Northwest Income Indicators Project Web site offers graphic analysis and summary reports of local area growth focusing on population, personal income, per capita income, employment, industry earnings and average earnings per job.

Web Sightings - Performance Measurement (April 06)
Between Tim Eyman's latest initiative filing and the state legislature's interest, the subject of performance measurement and auditing has been much in the news. You can learn more about measuring the performance of government programs and services at these Web sites:

National Performance Measurement Web Sites

Local Government Performance Measurement in Washington

ADA Guide for Small Towns (March 29)
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Guide for Small Towns presents an informal overview of some basic ADA requirements and provides cost- effective tips on how small towns can comply with the ADA.

How to Use Parliamentary Procedure (March 29)
The National Association of Parliamentarians' Web site offers some basic "How To" information on key elements of parliamentary procedure.

Robert's Rules for Small Assemblies (March 29)
The bible of organizational procedure has some modifications that make it much more effective for small meetings or assemblies. More from Practicing Planner.

Bush to Cities: Drop Dead! (March 23)
If proposed cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development go through, it could be 1975 all over again. More from Metropolis Magazine.

Report - Restoring Trust in Government (March 15)
A recent report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Restoring Trust in Government: The Potential of Digital Citizen Participation (Adobe Acrobat Document3253kb), presents three case studies of how government organizations are using technology to enhance citizen engagement and participation.

Traffic, Economy Top City Concerns (March 15)
Transportation congestion, rising health care costs, uncertain economic development programs, and inadequate housing are at the top of the list of issues facing America’s city officials, according to a new survey released by the National League of Cities. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Tools for Community Conversations - Citizen's Academy (March 15)
Every community and jurisdiction faces the challenge of explaining what it does and how in terms citizens can understand. One way to do this is through a citizen’s academy. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Smart City - The Creative City Movement (March 09)
The creative city movement, which has caught the attention of mayors, economic developers, and cultural planners worldwide, is the subject of this week’s Smart City™ radio show.

Privatization - A Balancing Act (March 09)
Contracting out services can benefit the bottom line, but not always. The trick is to figure out when it does and doesn’t. More from Governing.

City Succeeds in Applying Performance Measurement Data (March 01)
Performance measurement is more than a data-collection and reporting exercise; it's the analysis of the data that truly makes it a tool for continuous service improvement. More from the International City/County Management Association.

Job Sprawl and the Spatial Mismatch between Blacks and Jobs (March 01)
New research from the Brookings Institution strongly suggests that job sprawl—low-density, geographically spread-out patterns of employment growth—exacerbates the racial employment divide in America. More from Brookings.

Public Art Displays Carry Legal Risks (March 01)
Several laws apply to city-sponsored art exhibits. Knowing the basics of these laws can prevent costly litigation. More from American City & County.

Shared-Services in Government (February 24)
The majority of government executives believe that shared services are important to helping them achieve their organizations' strategic goals, according to a study released recently by Accenture. More from Government Technology.

The Great City (Seattle) (February 15)
A recent Seattle Times commentary by Bruce Katz and David Jackson suggests that, despite the Puget Sound region's strengths, it must address three key issues—transportation, housing, and schools—if it is to become truly great. More from the Brookings Institution.

E-Government - Made to Order (February 15)
The lofty old rhetoric about how digital technologies will fundamentally remake government is notably absent from most public CIOs' mouths these days. The current line: steady, incremental improvement -- not transformation. More from Government Technology.

New Government Innovations Portal (February 09)
The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government recently launched a new online portal, the Government Innovators Network, providing access to successful federal, state and local government innovations.

Open Meetings, Open Records, Open Eyes (February 09)
Failure to comply with open records laws can get counties and cities in a whole heap of trouble, not to mention embarrassment. More from American City & County.

Household Income Distributions in U.S. Cities, 1979-1999 (February 01)
A report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, The Shape of the Curve: Household Income Distributions in U.S. Cities, 1979-1999 (Adobe Acrobat Document1972kb), provides an analysis of census data on household incomes in the nation's 100 largest cities between 1979 and 1999.

Cities Strain to Cover Budget Gaps (February 01)
Many American cities are struggling with budget shortfalls. Their financial troubles are likely to get worse if expected cuts are made in domestic federal spending. More from National Public Radio.

State of the Cities 2005 Report (January 26)
The Association of Washington Cities recently released its State of the Cities 2005 report based on a survey completed by three-fourths of Washington's cities and towns, representing 94% of the state's municipal population. More from AWC.

Community Involvement in a Post-Rotary Club Era (January 26)
A new generation of civic groups are integrating personal and professional networking opportunities with socially-motivated, locally-focused programming. More from the Next American City.

Wanted: Language and Cultural Competence (January 26)
Increasingly, city and county governments are making a quiet investment to gain a better understanding of the cultural differences among their residents. More from Public Management Magazine.

The Global Baby Bust (January 19)
Most people think overpopulation is one of the worst dangers facing the globe. In fact, the opposite is true. More from Foreign Affairs.

Smart City - Leading America's Most Livable City (January 12)
The latest Smart City™ radio show features an interview with Vera Katz, long-time mayor of Portland, Oregon, talking about what made the city a national model, the challenges it now faces and what's next.

Get MRSC Web Site Updates and Quarterly Newsletter by E-mail (January 04)
Subscribe to MRSC's free bi-weekly Web site updates and quarterly newsletter and get all of the latest local government news and information delivered right to your desktop.

Smart City - A Compelling Vision for Cities (January 04)
What makes a compelling vision for a mid-size city in America? Tucson City Manager Jim Keene and Greenville, South Carolina Mayor Knox White, take up this question in a recent Smart City" radio show.