MRSC Insight Blog

Posts by Jim McEntire

A New Economic Development Strategy for Clallam County

September 11, 2015 by Jim McEntire
Category: Strategies and Programs , Council-Commission Advisor

A Clallam County commissioner writes about how the county and other local governments can work with the private sector to encourage economic development.

Not to Be Too Alarmist, but, Being a Realist …

January 27, 2015 by Jim McEntire
Category: Revenues , Council-Commission Advisor

Aside from locally derived tax revenues, cities and counties with slow-to-no economic growth coupled with higher-than-state-average unemployment can expect scant additional financial help from the State and Federal budgets.

Getting an Accurate and Complete Economic Picture for Rural Counties

August 1, 2014 by Jim McEntire
Category: Planning , Council-Commission Advisor

It can be challenging to assemble a comprehensive view of county economic conditions due to the many different sources of county-level economic data. I have the curse of a curious mind, from long before the beginning of my service in local government. First as a Port Commissioner, and then as a County Commissioner, I began a personal project to compile demographic and economic statistics for my...

Musings on Local Government and Governance

February 1, 2014 by Jim McEntire
Category: Legislative Body , Council-Commission Advisor

I've lived in many states and metropolitan areas throughout our country; some small, some large, some rural, some urban ... but nowhere with a system of local governance as fragmented as that of Washington State. Fragmented or integrated really doesn't matter in my view — neither is better or worse — local government remains closest to the people no matter what the structure. But...