In February, AWC hosted our first-ever Elected Officials Essentials Forum, an event designed for new and newer elected city and town officials to deepen their understanding of their role at city hall and build connections with peers throughout the state. With approximately 40 elected officials in attendance, the sessions buzzed with energy and learning about real-world municipal scenarios and useful tips for holding great council meetings. While most attendees had been in office since the 2023 municipal elections, we welcomed a handful of very new elected officials appointed as recently as the last few weeks.
Participants heard from Jennifer Robertson and Maili Barber, attorneys at Inslee Best Doezie & Ryder P.S., as well as Ann Macfarlane, a veteran Professional Registered Parliamentarian, and her Jurassic Parliament colleagues Emilia Sanchez and Tisha Gieser. AWC Board members were also on hand to share their experiences and provide mentorship.
Here are the top takeaways:
- Knowing the city’s form of government and roles is key to success.
Successful councilmembers and mayors work within their system of government to make things happen. The council makes policy decisions, sets the budget, establishes the vision, and works with the executive department to see it through. Councilmembers are not part of the executive branch and are not independently empowered to implement policies. It’s critical to know the distinctions between these roles to govern effectively.
- Building trust is critical.
Building trust with members of your council and executive team is critical to the foundation of being effective as a local elected official. Robertson gave these three important tips for building trust: Abide by the “no surprises rule;” praise in public, criticize in private; and find your allies and share credit.
- Foster strong, collaborative relationships with staff.
Robertson and Barber stressed these important reminders when working with staff as a councilmember: Foster collaboration and avoid a hostile work environment; communicate openly; listen attentively and set clear expectations; resolve conflicts and build consensus; delegate tasks and hold progress updates; clarify responsibilities to avoid overreach; and utilize specialized skills for problem solving.
- Meeting pros from Jurassic Parliament gave insights on the secrets to great meetings.
Macfarlane and her team of registered parliamentarians shared tips, insights, and guidelines for effective meetings to serve your community. The chair has an important role! They control the process so the group can make the decisions. This fundamental guideline was stressed: During meetings, the chair is the servant of the group, and the group is the final authority.
- There is value in getting back to basics.
Many elected officials describe the sensation of “drinking from the firehose” when first taking office. A year later, they have more context and can digest information through a new lens. Wherever you are on your journey as an elected official, AWC has got you covered with relevant and engaging trainings and conferences. Check out all of AWC’s upcoming events, including the Annual Conference (June 24-27, 2025), Elected Officials Essentials webinar series (throughout the year), and the all-day Elected Officials Essentials Workshop (December 6, 2025).