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SUBJECTS › GOVERNANCE › Candidate Information Resources for Washington City and County Elective Offices

Updated 07/09

Candidate Information Resources
for Washington City and County Elective Offices

Contents

Introduction

The Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington (MRSC) has created this Web page especially for local government elective office candidates. There are a host of issues that will require your attention in the upcoming months as you begin your campaign and, if you are elected, as you prepare to assume the duties of your office. We hope you will find these resources to be helpful. Good luck in your campaign!

Election Campaign Guidelines and Requirements

Links to the Secretary of State's and the Public Disclosure Commission's Web sites offer information on elections and voting, and various forms, compliance manuals and other resources for office candidates:

Legal Resources

MRSC offers links to all of the basic state laws affecting cities and counties as well as to locally-adopted codes and ordinances. You'll find our "Knowing the Territory" publication particularly useful for learning about basic legal guidelines affecting Washington city and county officials.

Handbooks for Elected Officials

  • Code City Handbook (505 KB),  Report No. 37,  Municipal Research & Services Center, revised, June 2009 - Provides essential information for code city officials and incites their powers, duties, and alternatives that are available under the applicable forms of municipal government.
  • Councilmember's Handbook ( 648 KB), Report No. 48, Municipal Research & Services Center, January 2000 - A brief overview of the structure of municipal government in Washington State and the role of the councilmember in that structure. The primary focus is on the council meeting. 
  • Local Government Citizen Advisory Boards - Examples, options, and model practices for the effective and efficient use of advisory boards by local governments (  1.52 MB),  Report No. 63, Municipal Research & Services Center, August 2008
  • Mayor's Handbook ( 452 KB), Report No. 44, Municipal Research & Services Center, February 1999 - This handbook is intended to serve as a guide for mayors in Washington cities and towns operating under the mayor-council form of government. There are also materials on issues which directly concern mayors in council-manager cities and all mayor pro tems: presiding over council meetings, conducting public hearings, etc.
  • New Commissioner Handbook ( 474 KB),  Report No. 43, Municipal Research & Services Center, September 1998 - Designed to assist newly elected county commissioners in the state of Washington. The handbook addresses many issues that are specific to the commission form of government; however, elected councilmembers in charter counties will also find sections of the handbook useful. Also viewable in  HTML.
  • Small Cities Resource Manual: A guide for Washington's Small Cities and Towns ( 1.40 MB), Association of Washington Cities,  2008
  • Town Handbook - Handbook for Washington Town Officials - Municipalities of the Fourth Class, Report No. 24, Municipal Research & Services Center,  December 1992 - Provides essential information for town officials and indicates their powers, duties and alternatives that are available under applicable forms of government. Available on loan from MRSC Library. Library Loan Request Form 

Roles of Elected Officials

It is essential for effective local government that municipal officials understand the roles of their respective offices and their interrelationships with others. We offer several publications and articles that discuss this important issue:

Policy-Making

One of your primary responsibilities as an elected official will be to discuss, develop and adopt local laws and policies. Information on the drafting and adoption of ordinances and resolutions is available in our handbooks on "Local Government Policy-Making" and "Local Ordinances." Some local ordinances, however, are adopted or reviewed directly by the public; information regarding the local initiative and referendum process is available in our handbook on "Initiatives and Referendums":

  • Local Government Policy-Making Process ( 511 KB), Report No. 45, Municipal Research & Services Center, February 1999 - The purposes of this publication are to describe the local government policy-making process, outline effective roles for local officials, and to provide practical tips to make the local policy-making process for satisfying and productive. 
  • Local Ordinances for Washington Cities and Counties ( 452 KB),  Report No. 50, Municipal Research & Services Center, May 2000 - To assist Washington county, city, and town officials in the drafting and adoption of ordinances, resolutions, motions, and related devices.
  • Initiative and Referendum Powers of Cities and Towns in the State of Washington ( 306 KB),  Report No. 28, Municipal Research & Services Center, January 2006 - Reviews the powers of initiative and referendum as they are exercised in cities in the state of Washington. It includes information on how to adopt these powers and which types of municipal activities are subject to these powers.

Open Government

Openness and accountability are critical to the health of our democratic system of government. MRSC offers several resources dealing with the state open public meetings act, public records disclosure laws and strategies for connecting citizens and government:

Local Government Finance/Budgeting

Paying for government is always a challenging issue. See MRSC's city and county revenue guide and budget suggestions publications for more information on city finance issues:

  • Budgeting Basics ( 690 KB) From Councilmember's Handbook, Report No. 48, Municipal Research & Services Center, January 2000
  • Budgeting for cities and towns in Washington state : a handbook for policy makers, chief appointed officials and others involved in the budget making process ( 195 KB),  developed by Michael Bailey, and Gayla Gjertsen for the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and the Washington Finance Officers Association (WFOA)
  • Budget Suggestions for 2010 ( 1.97 KB), Information Bulletin No. 533, Municipal Research & Services Center, August 2009. This publication 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
  • A Revenue Guide for Washington Cities and Towns ( 906 KB). Report No. 46, Municipal Research & Services Center, Revised, June 2009. $16.00(City)/$24.00(Other). Contains up-to-date information on revenue sources available to cities and towns for general government purposes, including the relevant statutory references and important court decisions.
  • A Revenue Guide for Washington Counties ( 409 KB),  Report No. 53, Municipal Research & Services Center, July 2001. A Revenue Guide for Washington Counties is intended primarily to assist county policymakers and administrators in understanding the array of revenue sources available for the various programs and services they provide. It is not a comprehensive listing of all the revenues available, but is rather an attempt to describe and explain the more important sources. We hope others with a more general interest in county government will also find the information useful.
  • Web Resources

Training for Newly Elected Officials