February 26, 2025

CADflckrcover Top takeaways from City Action Days 2025
With more than 350 attendees, the Saint Martin’s University venue was hopping and the vibe was energetic and positive, despite the expectation of a tough budget road ahead. Attendees heard from Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown and State Auditor Pat McCarthy, as well as several state legislators and state agency leaders. If you weren’t able to attend City Action Days in person, read the top takeaways—and be sure to check out the photos of all your colleagues at the event!

Final call: Sign on to AWC’s letters to the Legislature by Friday
City officials have until Friday, February 28, to sign on to AWC’s joint letters to the Legislature on two critical city issues. The more cities that join the cause, the stronger the message we send to legislators that we’re all pulling together.

Asking the Legislature to revise the property tax cap: As AWC’s legislative priority to lift the arbitrary property tax cap from 1% to an optional 3% heats up in the Legislature, so does the opposition and misinformation. Learn more and sign on.
Opposing a sweep of the PWAA: The Public Works Assistance Account (PWAA), a vital source of funding for basic local infrastructure, is at risk of losing over $100 million to the state’s general fund. City officials must raise their collective voices to oppose a sweep of the PWAA. Learn more and sign on.

Register for AWC’s Elected Officials Essentials webinar series
Multiple dates | Online
AWC’s five-part series of online trainings is created specifically for elected officials—join one or join them all! Each installment equips you with essential tools to maximize your impact as a leader, and each addresses one of the competency areas of AWC’s Certificate of Municipal Leadership program. The next webinar, happening March 26, offers a comprehensive overview of municipal revenue streams, regulatory frameworks, and strategies for optimizing revenue collection. Check out the series and register today!

March 26 | Understanding municipal revenues
May 14 | Community budget engagement
September 10 | Understanding Washington’s ethics laws
November 12 | Comprehending quasi-judicial hearings

Registration for Labor Relations Institute opens March 5
May 7-9 | Yakima
AWC’s Labor Relations Institute is the premier training event for public sector human resources professionals in Washington, offering legal updates, labor relations strategies, networking opportunities, and practical guidance to help you navigate the complex and ever-changing world of HR. This year’s Institute is full of timely and relevant topics including planning for reductions in force, strategic approaches to grievances, leave law fundamentals, AI and collective bargaining, addressing burnout, and more. Mark your calendar and get ready to register next week! Note: Attendance at the Institute is limited to those who solely represent the interests of management.

Legislative session: Week 7 at a glance
Cutoff deadlines are upon us—the dates by which bills must reach specific milestones in order to continue advancing through the legislative process. To hear about some key bills still in play, catch these top headlines from AWC’s Legislative Bulletin:

Parking preemption bill passes out of the Senate with amendments. More
Recycling Reform Act bills pass the first hurdle. More
From a flurry of public safety funding bills this session, AWC still favors this approach. More

Keep up on the latest legislative news for cities: Bookmark AWC's weekly Bill Hot Sheet, subscribe to the weekly Legislative Bulletin, follow bills of interest to your city through AWC’s bill tracker, and register to join our Friday City Action Calls for updates from AWC's advocacy team throughout the 2025 session.

Are you passionate about strong cities? Apply to serve on the AWC Board of Directors
The AWC Nominating Committee is calling for applications for the AWC Board of Directors. Open positions include odd-numbered districts, as well as Districts 4 and 6. Visit the Nominating Committee page to read its first report, see which district positions are open, and learn about Board responsibilities and qualifications. Learn more at an informal Q&A with the CEO and select Board members on March 27. Register now and apply by April 14.

Other news & resources

The AWC Board of Directors has appointed Vancouver Councilmember Ty Stober to fill a vacancy in District 5 (cities and towns in Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, and Skamania counties), and the City of Seattle has appointed Councilmember Maritza Rivera to fill a vacancy in District 11 (Seattle). Board elections will take place at the AWC Business Meeting at Annual Conference on June 26. More

MRSC offers guidance on workplace harassment, complaints, and public meeting disruptions. More

Check out this toolkit from NLC to find tips and resources for growing your city’s healthy housing workforce. More

NLC’s Immigration Resource Dashboard compiles current federal opportunities that local leaders can leverage to support their refugee, asylee, migrant and immigrant residents in alignment with federal laws and regulations. More

Attend a State Comprehensive Climate Action Plan sector-specific virtual roadshow. The first event is February 27. More

Local Public Records Management Grants are now open through the Washington State Archives. Learn more about the types of grants, access helpful resources, and apply by February 28. More

Apply by February 28 for AWC’s new grant for energy audits of city-owned buildings. More

Public works directors: Take MRSC’s transportation project delivery survey to help identify the most effective ways to support streamlined delivery of local transportation projects. Due by February 28. More

Deadline extended: The National Civic League is accepting applications through March 6 for the 2025 All-America City Award, with the theme of Strengthening environmental sustainability through inclusive community engagement.. More

National Civic Learning Week, March 10-14, unites students, educators, policymakers, and private sector leaders to energize the movement for civic education across the nation. Learn about planned events, sign up for updates, and find resources for planning and communicating your city’s participation. More

The JLARC lodging tax reporting system is open for reporting 2024 lodging tax expenditures. Due May 16. More

Local student leaders nominated for CQC scholarships
Thank you to the 38 cities that nominated local student leaders for this year’s AWC Center for Quality Communities (CQC) scholarships! The selection committee, made up of AWC members from around the state, will evaluate the applications, and recipients will be announced this spring. Up to three scholarships of $3,000 may be awarded in 2025. Visit the CQC web page to learn more about the scholarship program and see which cities nominated students.

Did you know that CQC scholarships are funded solely through donations? Donate now to help cultivate our future civic leaders!

AWC trainings & events

AWC: Elected Officials Essentials Forum | February 28 | Tacoma

Trust: Healthy Worksite Summit | March 12-13 | Lynnwood

AWC: Elected Officials Essentials webinar series | Multiple dates | Online

March 26 | Understanding municipal revenues
May 14 | Community budget engagement
September 10 | Understanding Washington’s ethics laws
November 12 | Comprehending quasi-judicial hearings

Trust: Planning for reductions in force | March 27 | Online

RMSA: Police negligence: Review of cases & trends | April 17 | Online

AWC: Save the date: Labor Relations Institute | May 7-9 | Yakima

AWC: 2025 Annual Conference | June 24-27 | Kennewick

Other trainings & events

LFGG: Direct pay and sustainable energy for all in Washington | February 28 | Online

NLC: Congressional City Conference 2025 | March 10-12 | Washington, D.C.

iCivics: Civic Learning Week National Forum: Many voices, one nation | March 13 | Stanford, CA, and online

CRAB: 2025 Road Design Conference | March 19-21 | Chelan

MRSC: Digging into public works fundamentals | March 27 | Vancouver, WA

MRSC: Public Records Act basics and more (virtual workshops) | April 10 & April 30 | Online

State Archives: Records management workshops | Multiple dates | Online

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