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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Tracy Burrows

Shows a fleet of mid-sized electric vehicles being charged at a public charging station

Tips for Transitioning Fleet Vehicles to Electric

February 15, 2023  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Climate Change ,  Energy Resources and Conservation

Electric vehicle (EV) fleets can help an agency save money and meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, but transitioning fleets to EVs will be a major undertaking. It helps to start small and to pair the program with the build out of local EV charging infrastructure.

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Making Government Work Attractive

Making Government Work Attractive

June 23, 2022  by  Tracy Burrows ,  Leah LaCivita
Category:  Administration and Management

How can local governments build a strong workplace culture that engages current staff and attracts new workers? Here are some ideas, including a case study from the City of Issaquah.

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Investing in Equity To Prepare for Environmental Challenges

Investing in Equity To Prepare for Environmental Challenges

January 6, 2022  by  Tracy Burrows ,  Leah LaCivita
Category:  Climate Change ,  Inclusive Communities

Some Washington local governments have placed equity front and center when preparing for the impacts of climate change. This blog looks at efforts in Lakewood and Shoreline.

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They Said What?! — Handling Misinformation

They Said What?! — Handling Misinformation

December 13, 2021  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Social Media

From conspiracies to outright gossip, this blog offers tips for local governments on how to counter misleading claims on social media. 

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MRSC Tackles Big Challenges Through Its Local Climate Response Project

MRSC Tackles Big Challenges Through Its Local Climate Response Project

July 15, 2021  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  MRSC News and Updates ,  Climate Change

MRSC is launching the Local Climate Response Project this month to help local governments protect the health and economic vitality of their communities.

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Being Cyber Aware in the Age of COVID-19

Being Cyber Aware in the Age of COVID-19

April 8, 2020  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Cybersecurity ,  COVID-19

This blog posts looks at cyber threats that have taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and offers tips for local governments to help protect their resources. 

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MRSC Launches New Website Search

MRSC Launches New Website Search

January 6, 2020  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  MRSC News and Updates

We've updated our website search system. The new features make it easier to find information, providing more relevant results and allowing you to quickly narrow your search. 

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How to Talk to the Public When the Heat is On

How to Talk to the Public When the Heat is On

April 11, 2019  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Management

Don't wait until a crisis hits your agency to develop a plan for managing communication with the public. This blog post provides an overview of how to plan ahead—before crisis puts you in the spotlight. 

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3 Steps to a More Meaningful Mission Statement

3 Steps to a More Meaningful Mission Statement

June 12, 2018  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Management

In this post, MRSC's Executive Director Tracy Burrows looks at the role of an organization's mission statement and an easy, 3-step process to creating mission statements that will engage employees long after the process is over.

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Time to Scrap the Annual Performance Review?

Time to Scrap the Annual Performance Review?

June 8, 2016  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Administration and Management

New approaches to performance reviews offer techniques that could enhance the value of public sector performance appraisals.

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Our Deepest Appreciation: MRSC Fully Funded, Thanks to Your Support

Our Deepest Appreciation: MRSC Fully Funded, Thanks to Your Support

April 7, 2016  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  MRSC News and Updates

After considering a proposal to zero-out MRSC’s funding, the 2016 state legislature recognized MRSC’s value and enacted a final budget that maintains MRSC’s funding at the same level as it has been in recent years.

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Senate Supplemental Budget Zeroes Out MRSC by July 1st

Senate Supplemental Budget Zeroes Out MRSC by July 1st

March 4, 2016  by  Tracy Burrows
Category: 

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What Makes A Successful Ballot Measure? A Look at the Data

What Makes A Successful Ballot Measure? A Look at the Data

September 25, 2014  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Elections

A review of the results of over 600 local ballot measures in our searchable ballot measure database shows some very interesting trends. 73% of all ballot measures succeed, but that only tells part of the story.

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The Year the Public Servant Became the Bureaucrat

January 21, 2014  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Management

Cultural shifts are reflected in the language that we use. We can see this over the past 50 years of city planning as we have shifted from "urban renewal," which quickly took on the connotation of a flawed solution...

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Public Records Act Report Emphasizes a Better Way to Resolve Disputes

December 20, 2013  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Public Records Act

This week, the William D. Ruckelshaus Center issued to the State Legislature its Situation Assessment of Public Records Requests to Local Governments. In our September 25th post, "Is the Public Records Act Working?," Joe Levan reported on the charge that the Legislature gave to the Ruckelshaus Center to develop recommendations for the future of the Public Records Act (PRA). The Center's report...

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Successful Tips for Recruiting Board and Commission Members

July 29, 2013  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Boards and Commissions

When a vacancy occurs on a citizen board or commission, it’s a real opportunity to seek out new voices to contribute to the dialogue on community issues.

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Are Local Government Revenues Lagging Behind the Economy?

June 17, 2013  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Revenues

Using past recessions as a guide, the rule of thumb is that the recovery in local government revenues will lag 18 to 24 months behind the low point of a recession, but in Washington the lag may be shorter for some jurisdictions.

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The cost of public healthcare

Creative Use of Emergency Communications Tool Saves Clark County Time and Money

March 14, 2013  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Emergency Management

In Clark County, response to a public health emergency sparked a creative solution that's saving time and money. It was an epiphany born out of crisis—the commonplace resource...

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crumpled usa dollar ball, business concept

What the State Auditor is Looking for...and Findings (Part 2)

February 25, 2013  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Accounting

In reviewing county and special purpose district audit findings from 2010 to 2012, a few key issues stand out. This post summarizes those issues and provides tips to help these jurisdictions avoid audit issues in the future.

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crumpled usa dollar ball, business concept

What the State Auditor is Looking for... and Findings (Part 1 - Cities)

January 17, 2013  by  Tracy Burrows
Category:  Accounting

In reviewing city audit findings from 2010 to 2012, a few key issues stand out. This post summarizes those issues and provides resources to help cities avoid audit issues in the future.

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