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SUBJECTS › GOVERNANCE › SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS › Special Purpose District Survey
 

Special Purpose District Survey

Effective July 1, 2009, the services that we, the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC), are providing to special purpose districts will be eliminated due to cuts in the state budget. We are exploring options for continuing our services to special purpose districts through a model based on a service or membership fee. To assist us in determining whether a membership option is feasible we are conducting a survey. Please complete this survey at your earliest convenience:
>> Click Here to Take the MRSC Special Districts Survey <<

We look forward to hearing from you.

Who are we?

MRSC is a non-profit organization founded at the University of Washington in 1934 to serve local government.

MRSC is an objective resource for Washington local governments. We combine staff experience and knowledge with our information clearinghouse function to assist local government officials and staff with advice, research, publications, and training on legal, policy, and management issues. MRSC maintains an extensive library of printed materials and a website that allows you to access thousands of articles, documents, and other resources dedicated to governance and the delivery of public services.

The staff of MRSC serves as an extension of your staff, providing our unique and diverse experience and expertise to you in an approachable, timely, and thoughtful manner.

What could we do for you?

The following are examples of the kind of services we could offer special purpose districts:

  • Respond to phone and e-mail inquiries about legal, policy, and research matters of concern to special purpose districts. Our staff expertise includes municipal law, public management, budget and finance, contracting, land use, public works, utilities, personnel, and a vast array of other areas of interest to local government.
  • Research legal and policy questions. We can provide examples and samples of what other local governments have done and interpret, compile, and synthesize complex information and materials.
  • Prepare and update publications and web content on issues related to special purpose district governance, management, and legal concerns.
  • Provide limited training, on request, on topics such as open public meetings, public records, contracting, purchasing and bidding, effective boards, and general manager roles and responsibilities.
  • Provide borrowing rights to the MRSC library, the state's largest collection of local government reference documents. Available materials include local ordinances, codes, budgets, comprehensive plans, and documents illustrating virtually every function and operation of local government.

MRSC would not serve as legal counsel or as an independent contractor of the special purpose district. Our services supplement and extend services provided by district staff. For more information about MRSC, see the Services page on our website.

What's in it for you?

The benefits of being a MRSC member would include:

  • Keep out of trouble. The laws and policies affecting your governmental activities are complex. We can help you make wise decisions to keep your civic activities from becoming unwanted local news.
  • Save time and money. MRSC provides extremely cost effective services to local governments. We can also provide examples of cost saving approaches from other jurisdictions that your taxpayers and ratepayers will appreciate.
  • Get personalized service. Our staff of local government experts is passionate about excellence in local government.
  • Find out what works. Got a problem or challenge? Learn from those who have gone before you and draw on the decades of knowledge and experience of MRSC staff. We have been doing this for 75 years and pride ourselves on keeping current regarding emerging issues and trends.
  • Impress your peers with your savvy.

What would it cost?

We are exploring a possible membership model whereby each district would pay an annual fee based on its most recent annual operating budget. Annual fees would range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Districts with larger operating budgets would pay more than the districts with smaller budgets. We are also open, however, to other options to fund service.

To help us assess the feasibility of this approach, we request that you complete the survey. The input we receive from special purpose districts is much appreciated and will determine how we proceed.
>> Click Here to Take the MRSC Special Districts Survey <<