MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Public Works Finance

Tax Increment Financing Now Available to Some Washington Local Governments

September 16, 2021 by Eric Lowell
Category: Finance , Public Works Finance , New Legislation and Regulations

In an effort to help local governments spur economic development in stagnant communities, the legislature passed HB 1189 early this year, which authorizes the use of tax increment financing for cities, towns, counties, and port districts.

Tips for Improving Your Grant Proposal Development Process

September 18, 2018 by Amy Gabriel
Category: Revenues , Public Works Finance , Guest Author

From providing feedback on draft grant guidelines to employing an outside consultant, this post offers tips on how municipalities can improve the grant development process.

Funding Utility Infrastructure

June 14, 2017 by Courtney Black
Category: Public Works Finance , Utilities , Guest Author

The facilities that make up your utility infrastructure won’t last forever. This post looks at how asset management options can help a utility avoid significant funding challenges or impacts to ratepayers during infrastructure replacement.

Utility Latecomer Agreements – Legislature Gives Municipalities an Alternative

July 8, 2015 by Bob Meinig
Category: Public Works Finance

The 2015 Legislature enacted legislation (SSB 5795) providing municipalities (defined for this purpose as cities, towns, counties, and drainage districts) the authority to initiate an assessment reimbursement area to finance all the costs of a water or sewer improvement and to become the sole beneficiary of the reimbursements.

Capital Project Financial Management - Seeking the "Universal Translator"

July 31, 2014 by Tracey Dunlap
Category: Public Works Finance , Guest Author

How can local government finance and project management staff improve consistency in communications to better manage capital projects?

Utility Latecomer Agreement Statutes Change on July 1, 2014

February 10, 2014 by John W. Carpita, PE
Category: Public Works Finance

In 2013, the Legislature passed ESHB 1717, which, among other things, modified chapter 35.91 RCW in several key areas for sewer and water facility latecomer...

Missing a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

June 4, 2013 by Lynn Nordby
Category: Public Works Finance

Historians are going to look back at this time in our nation’s history and shake their heads at the opportunities cities, counties, states, and school districts failed to capitalize on. With interest rates at the...

Infrastructure Financing - Future Strategies to Meet Capital Needs

May 31, 2013 by Stan Finkelstein
Category: Public Works Finance , Guest Author

While in recent weeks much attention has been directed at the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge on Interstate-5, that event is symptomatic of far greater infrastructure deficiencies confronting state and local governments.