March 19, 2025

AGRiP2025 AWC pooling programs earn national recognition
The AWC Employee Benefit Trust and the AWC Risk Management Service Agency (RMSA) have both been recognized by the Association of Governmental Risk Pools (AGRiP) at the 2025 AGRiP Governance Conference. Recognition by AGRiP is based on a rigorous assessment of all aspects of program operations against industry best practices. “This is a significant achievement and an example of how AWC is living up to our organizational vision of being the national leader in programs, services, and policy impact for our members,” said AWC CEO Deanna Dawson. Read more.

State revenue forecast reduced, increasing risk to city priorities
The state revenue forecast released on March 18 shows a lower forecast for state revenues, driven by slower state sales and B&O tax growth. The revised forecast anticipates $479 million for 2025-27 and $420 million for 2027-29. That will add to the $12-15 billion budget gap already predicted for the next four years as the Legislature releases its budget proposals in the next week. That increased gap also adds to the potential for cuts to city budget priorities. Take time now to remind your legislators again about the importance of programs like the Public Works Assistance Account. Read more.

Learn about joining the AWC Board of Directors
March 27 | Online
Are you passionate about strong cities? Consider running for the AWC Board of Directors! Attend an informal Q&A with AWC CEO Deanna Dawson and AWC Board members to learn more about the role, responsibilities, and qualifications of an AWC Board Director. All city elected officials are welcome to attend regardless of intent to run this year. Register for the Q&A. Visit the Nominating Committee page to see what positions are up for election, learn more about the process, and apply by April 14.

2025-NLC-CCC-group-pic Washington city leaders go national
Nearly 100 city officials from Washington state went to Washington, D.C., last week to the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference. They attended informative sessions, heard from the Vice President, and met with members of Washington’s congressional delegation. AWC hosted a packed room to hear from our U.S. Senators. Check out a few key takeaways and event photos.

Legislative session: Week 10 at a glance
Last week’s cutoff significantly reduced the number of bills advancing through the legislative process. A number of our city priority bills are still alive, and a few not-so-good bills are considered (most likely) dead for the session. Catch these top headlines from AWC’s Legislative Bulletin:

Another opportunity to impact the preemptive parking bill. More
Senators need to hear your city’s story: Speak up now against AI bargaining bill. More
Thanks to your efforts, two city priority public safety funding bills (HB 2015 and SB 5775) gained critical legislative support and passed their houses of origin.

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.

Other news & resources

Sunshine Week 2025 highlights the importance of open government: Learn more and find AWC’s on-demand resources to complete your open government training requirements (due by March 31 for those who took office on January 1). More

Final call! AWC seeks two senior city staff members with expertise in transportation and engineering to serve on the WSDOT Local Programs Bridge Replacement Advisory Committee (BRAC). Apply by March 19. More

AmeriCorps CivicSpark Fellow applications open March 20 for local governments looking to host a community planning fellow starting September 2025. Join an info session on March 20 or April 24. More

Commerce seeks feedback by March 20 on draft language in climate planning rulemaking. More

Are you ready? The 2025 AWC Salary and Benefit Survey is launching March 24. Find out what you can to now to make sure your city or county is ready to participate in this important tool for local governments. More

Submit comments on the Department of Health’s proposed changes to water system plan requirements by April 11. More

Do you know someone interested in running for local office? Candidate filing week begins earlier than usual this year, on May 5. Find information and resources from MRSC to share with your community. More

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

Office of Public Defense grant funds are still available on a rolling basis for cities under 200,000 in the SPAR program to help with Blake impacts. The funds expire at the end of the state’s fiscal year, so act now before June 30, 2025. More

The JLARC public records reporting system is open for 2024 data. Cities that meet the $100,000 reporting threshold or that intend to report voluntarily have until July 1 to report. More

$27 million available to support rural communities in hiring technical assistance staff to advance transportation projects. Watch an informational webinar and apply by April 15. More

MRSC shares ideas and tips on using arts and culture to support your city’s downtown revitalization efforts. More

Housing update: Which bills are (and aren’t) still moving
In this three-minute video, AWC Deputy Director of Government Relations Carl Schroeder gives an update on several bills with potential impacts to Washington cities, including bills on public camping, parking requirements, and proposals that would raise revenue to fund affordable housing. Bills covered include HB 1907 / SB 5711, SB 5576, HB 1380, HB 1195, HB 1443, and more. Watch now.

AWC trainings & events

AWC: City Action Calls (city members only) | Fridays during session | Online

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

AWC: Q&A session: Running for the AWC Board of Directors | March 27 | Online

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

AWC: Small City Connectors | Multiple dates | Multiple locations

April 3 | Raymond
May 29 | Dayton
May 30 | Chewelah
June 11 | Granger

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

Retro: AWC Retro Annual Meeting | May 7 | Yakima

AWC: Labor Relations Institute | May 7-9 | Yakima

AWC: 2025 legislative session recap (AWC members only) | May 22 | Online

D&A: Supervisor training | Multiple dates | Multiple locations

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

Other trainings & events

NLC: How apprenticeships can strengthen the municipal workforce | March 26 |Online

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

MRSC: Public Records Act basics and more (virtual workshop) | May 8| Online

Greg Bell: Water the Bamboo Leadership Bootcamp | April 11-12 | Portland, OR

MRSC (with AWC & WSAC): Climate Action Peer Network meeting | April 17 | Online

NLC: Addressing the rise of incivility: A town hall event | April 22 | Online

State Archives: Records management workshops | Multiple dates | Online

Did you know? 1,200+ individuals have alerts set so they can view your new posting the moment it goes live. Post your jobs on AWC JobNet today!

Featured jobs:
City of Ridgefield | Engineering & Capital Director
City of Wapato | Finance Director
City of Edmonds | Planning and Development Director