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Posts for Linda Gallagher

Behind Closed Doors: Recent Cases Address Requirements for Executive Sessions During Special Meetings

May 13, 2025  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Open Public Meetings Act

Two recent court cases have revolved around the requirements under the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) for executive sessions during special meetings, offering local governments tips on how to avoid violating the OPMA. 

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Running for Local Office? Filing Week Begins May 5

March 10, 2025  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Elections

In a change from past years, the filing period for anyone wishing to run for local elected office in Washington State is May 5-9. Though this is not the only change impacting local elections, it is one of the more significant. 

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Building Bridges, Not Walls: Conflict Resolution Tools

December 30, 2024  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Administration and Management ,  Inclusive Communities

While workplace conflict is unavoidable for a variety of reasons, there are many tools teams and individuals can use to navigate challenges more constructively, and to end with results that promote reconciliation rather than reinforce divisions.

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How Cities and Towns Acquire Legal Services

October 28, 2024  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

Cities and towns all need legal services for many reasons. What are the options for selecting and retaining city or town attorneys, as well as the roles of the council and the mayor or city/town manager in this process?

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Building Trust: Effective Tools for Local Government

August 12, 2024  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Leadership and Management ,  Inclusive Communities ,  Public Participation

Building trust with community members can be accomplished in many ways, and Washington local governments have implemented innovative strategies to increase transparency, build relationships with diverse communities, and demonstrate responsiveness to community needs. 

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Election ballot, pin, and button

New Elections Laws Passed in 2024

May 28, 2024  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Elections ,  New Legislation and Regulations

In 2024 the legislature passed new bills related to elections integrity, including some that address election worker safety, improve the ballot review and voter verification process, and ease the ability for a voter to move their official address from one county to another.

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a hand turning a dial to maximum 'trust'

Building Trust During Polarizing Times

February 5, 2024  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Inclusive Communities ,  Public Participation

Distrust, misinformation, and polarization seem to be growing at the national and local levels. How can local government build trust to help dispel misinformation, reduce polarization, increase engagement, and maintain a healthy, engaged democracy?

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A snow tractor plowing a small town street

New Law Doubles Limits for Municipal Officers’ Beneficial Interest in Contracts with Their Agency

December 11, 2023  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Ethics and Conflicts of Interest

A 2023 bill made changes to the state's Code of Ethics for Municipal Officers, doubling the size of allowed contracts for elected officials with certain public agencies while also reducing the population limits for towns and cities from 10,000 to under 5,000.

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New Elections Laws Passed in 2023

July 17, 2023  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Elections ,  New Legislation and Regulations

The state legislature adopted several new election laws this year regarding the candidate filing period, voter registration, records of future voters under the age of 18, and the Washington Voting Rights Act.

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A crowd is gathered and sitting on the grass while a band plays in a covered area at the Seattle Center

Summer Festivals and Risk Management

April 17, 2023  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Emergency Management ,  Programs

Summer festivals are a great way for local governments to bring people together but agencies should first undertake a variety of risk management steps to protect attendees, ensure smooth and efficient event operations, and make room for improvements for the following year.

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New Legal Requirements for Job Postings

January 17, 2023  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Compensation ,  Recruitment and Hiring

Beginning January 1, 2023, public and private employers in Washington State with 15 or more employees are now required to include compensation and benefits information in job postings.

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New Law Requires Compost Procurement Ordinances by January 1, 2023

November 29, 2022  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Climate Change ,  Purchasing and Contracting

A new state law covering organic materials management requires compost procurement ordinances for certain cities, towns, and counties by January 1, 2023. These ordinances must set forth how compost will be procured, purchased, and incorporated into applicable projects.

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Elections Integrity and Security: Part 2

October 3, 2022  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Elections

In the second part of our series on election security measures, we look at how elections offices verify and tabulate votes to ensure a complete result, and under what conditions and how a recount happens.

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A voter putting their ballot into a mailbox

Elections Integrity and Security: Part 1

September 26, 2022  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Elections

Free, fair, and accurate elections are a hallmark of our democratic system. Washington State has enacted a number of measures to protect each person’s right to vote and to ensure that elections statewide are safe and secure.

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Closed Captioning: A Language Access Tool

August 16, 2022  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Inclusive Communities ,  New Legislation and Regulations

SB 5027, which passed during the 2021 legislative session, requires closed captioning be used on televisions in public places, including in local government-owned facilities, when the technology is available.

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Dealing with Difficult Behavior

July 5, 2022  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Management

Dealing with people who exhibit difficult behavior can be a challenge, whether they are coworkers, acquaintances, or members of the public. Here are some strategies that can help local government staff and officials make the next encounter less stressful. 

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2022 Legislation About Public Safety

June 13, 2022  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Law Enforcement ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Among other items, 2022 legislation related to public safety clarifies use-of-force provisions for law enforcement and makes slight changes to what could be considered military equipment.  

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New Laws About Public Safety

November 22, 2021  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Law Enforcement ,  New Legislation and Regulations

The 2021 Regular Legislative Session included several bills that impacted local law enforcement agencies, and this blog offers an overview of some of the more complex bills. 

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Vaccine Mandates: Accommodating Disability and Religious Belief Exemptions

October 11, 2021  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  COVID-19

At this point in the pandemic, vaccine mandates of some form can be found at the national, state, and local levels. For those employees seeking exemptions from the mandate, what is the process employers must undergo to review and possibly accommodate such requests?

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Redistricting and the 2020 Census

August 30, 2021  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Elections ,  Tax and Population Data

Local governments using a district-based voting system must begin the process of redistricting in response to the 2020 Census, although a delay in distribution of this data also means new redistricting deadlines.

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