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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Governance

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Elected Officials and Benefits Programs

January 25, 2023  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Governance ,  Compensation ,  Leave Policies

Are elected officials considered employees? If so, are they eligible for the various benefits programs provided for in state law? This simple question requires a case-by-case examination of eligible state-based benefits programs. 

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How Can Local Governments Celebrate the Holidays?

How Can Local Governments Celebrate the Holidays?

November 8, 2022  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Governance ,  Gift of Public Funds

Celebrating the winter holidays can be fun, but local governments and their staff and elected officials must think carefully before pulling out decorations, planning parties, or accepting gifts. 

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Speaking Versus Regulating — The Government Speech Doctrine

Speaking Versus Regulating — The Government Speech Doctrine

May 31, 2022  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Governance ,  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions

Government speech is analyzed differently by the courts than government regulation of the speech of others. This blog looks at government speech case law, including the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shurtleff v. City of Boston.

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Let's Talk Winter

Let's Talk Winter

December 13, 2018  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Governance ,  Ethics and Conflicts of Interest ,  Snow and Ice Removal

In this blog post, Legal Consultant Jill Dvorkin compiles existing MRSC resources to address some of the challenging issues jurisdictions routinely face during the winter months. 

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An Inquiry Response Sampler

An Inquiry Response Sampler

October 25, 2018  by  Paul Sullivan
Category:  Governance

This blog post is a grab bag of questions posed to MRSC's consultants through our Ask MRSC service. Covering broad but common local government concerns, the questions (and answers) should interest all our readers.

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Sanctuary Cities and Counties

Sanctuary Cities and Counties

February 16, 2017  by  Robert Sepler
Category:  Governance

Sanctuary cities and counties have recently taken center stage in the national debate on immigration. Given the relevance of this issue to local governments in Washington State, this blog post will explore what “sanctuary” jurisdictions are, how they are designated, and reasons local governments have cited for and against becoming a “sanctuary” jurisdiction.

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Are You Communicating Your Goals?

Are You Communicating Your Goals?

February 10, 2017  by  Bob Jean
Category:  Governance ,  Guest Author

Are you communicating your goals effectively? How do you cut through all the noise and clutter to reach the people you need to reach? This post gives you a Road Map to help. 

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