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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Administrative and Elected Officials

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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Bundle of mail marked "return to sender"

Residency Requirements for Local Government Officials and Appointees

January 29, 2024  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  County Officials

Must an elected official, advisory (e.g., volunteer) board member, or city or county administrator reside in the jurisdiction they serve or work for? The answer to this question depends on the position, and in some cases, local policies. 

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A women is interviewed by a panel

Hiring Staff: Roles of Mayor/Manager Versus the City/Town Council

January 16, 2024  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  Recruitment and Hiring

When hiring staff in cities or towns, what role does the council play? What role does the mayor (or manager) play? To make the best hiring decisions, the legislative and executive branches should work cooperatively and limit activities to their respective statutory roles.

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Exterior of a town hall with flag displayed

Knowing Your Roles: City and Town Governments

January 10, 2024  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

Conflicts in city and town governments between the executive and the legislative branches can be the result of confusion as to these roles and their responsibilities. In such cases, the parties should revisit how power is divided between these two branches.

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A woman celebrates winning her election with her supporters

You’ve Been Elected: Now What?

November 29, 2023  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  County Officials ,  Elections

Now that you've been elected there are a number of steps you'll need to take before assuming office, as well as some resources you might want to check out to get ready for your new adventure. 

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taking an oath of office

The Oath of Office for Local Elected Officials

October 25, 2023  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  County Officials

Local governments often have questions about the oath of office, such as when it can be taken, who can administer it, what wording should be used, and whether it must be administered in person.

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Balance of Power Struggles in City Government

March 3, 2022  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

This blog touches on common struggles between executive and legislative branches of city government and provides insight on how to handle these.

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Roles and Responsibilities: Questions and Answers

April 5, 2021  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  County Officials

This blog explores frequently asked questions related to roles and responsibilities of elected officials versus local government staff.

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Troublesome Behavior: Defending Against Harassment of Public Officials and Employees

March 18, 2021  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  County Officials ,  Personnel Policies

This blog explores strategies for dealing with members of the public who cross the line into harassing elected officials or local government staff.

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Who’s the Boss? Separation of Powers in Local Government

February 18, 2021  by  Linda Gallagher
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

This blog post discusses the importance of the roles and responsibilities of elected and appointed officials working together in local governments.

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New Regulations for the Use of Facial Recognition Technology

June 22, 2020  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  County Officials ,  New Legislation and Regulations

The purpose of this blog post is to highlight the requirements in ESSB 6280, Washington State's new law regulating the use of facial technology software. 

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Finding Success in Using Community Resources to Deliver Value as a Newly Elected Official

January 16, 2020  by  Mike Bailey
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

This blog article looks at the role of an elected official as policymaker, one who brings value to the community by overseeing use of its financial resources. 

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Ten Traits of an Effective Councilmember

January 2, 2018  by  Jon Mutchler
Category:  Guest Author ,  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  Legislative Body

In this guest-authored blog post, Ferndale Mayor Jon Mulcher reflects on the traits he has witnessed in his career as a public servant that define truly effective councilmembers.

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Political Speech and Lobbying by Local Government Employees: What are the Rules of Engagement?

April 17, 2017  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

There is a lot going on in politics these days at all levels of government. Wherever you fall on the political spectrum, it is important for government employees to know the rules of engagement. While everyone has First Amendment rights, there are certain restrictions on speech and lobbying that apply to employees of local public agencies. This blog post provides an overview of these restrictions. 

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Take Advantage of the End of the Year

December 1, 2016  by  Lynn Nordby
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  Emergency Management

The end of the year is typically a busy time for local governments, but it also offers opportunities to help orient newly elected officials and to review citywide emergency management plans.

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Getting Your Newly Elected Officials Ready to Hit the Ground Running

September 15, 2015  by  Lynn Nordby
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

Every election cycle potentially introduces new members to your policy board or chief executive’s office. You have an opportunity to give the newly elected members of the team a “leg up” so that they can begin their term of office as ready as possible on day one.

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Do Public Employees Lose Their Freedom of Speech?

February 3, 2015  by  Lynn Nordby
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials

I suspect every local government executive has experienced the situation where an employee unexpectedly steps to the microphone during a public comment period or gets a letter published about a government issue in a local newspaper. When this happens can, or should, the executive prevent an employee from speaking out on issues or take any action against an employee?

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