Washington
One Washington City's Innovative Approach to Transparency and Civic Engagement
- Citizen engagement is essential to building trust in local government.
- The city of Liberty Lake, Wash., has developed innovative strategies for educating residents about its workings and eliciting their input.
- The city administrator, Mark McAvoy, spoke with Governing about key elements of this work.
Mark McAvoy was serving in the Air Force, stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Western Washington, when he got in a tangle with a local planning department over a retaining wall on his property. The encounter was frustrating, but also made him want to understand more about the internal workings of cities.
McAvoy’s curiosity was strong enough to motivate him to earn a Master of Public Administration degree, an “MBA for the public sector,” as he describes it. After working for the city of Houston for nearly two decades he became city administrator for Liberty Lake, a rapidly growing city of 12,000 near the Washington-Idaho border.
Since taking the job, he’s made it a priority to ensure residents are well informed about the way Liberty Lake works, from its budget priorities to its service delivery. The city was one of the first in the nation to implement a “Rethinking Budgeting” tool developed by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), an assessment of budgeting processes designed to improve their speed and flexibility.
He’s been city administrator for three years now, the job he’s wanted ever since graduate school. He talked to Governing about what he’s doing to make sure citizens of Liberty Lake have a say in government decisions. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Governing: What are some of the things you’ve done to help residents feel they have a voice in government?
McAvoy: We’ve established a community engagement commission made up of volunteer members. Their sole purpose is to derive methods to get more of a cross section of the city’s residents to engage regularly with the city government.
We started a community satisfaction survey, tied to our strategic plan, and it allows us to gauge how we are delivering what we said we’d prioritize in our strategic plan. We ask questions to see what the level of satisfaction generally is, and we use those results to inform our budget-making process and capital facilities plan.
Every spring we have a Citizen Academy, a class where people can come in each week for eight weeks and learn about a different department within the city. We go to the fire station, to the water and sewer district, to the police department. They have an opportunity to see the inner workings of those departments, how they make decisions and allocate resources, how they deliver services.
All of our capital projects are on the city website, and there’s a widget that allows visitors to access a discussion forum about them.
We have a farmers market, and each week between May and October we have a booth there with an elected official and a member from one of our boards or commissions to answer questions about development projects, or why potholes aren’t being fixed. Kind of a living city hall.
What kinds of outcomes have you seen from this work?
At least two people who came through the academy decided that they wanted to run for City Council and were elected. We have several board and commission members who went through the academy and then decided to volunteer and become board and commission members.
We’re always looking for new techniques to be able to get more voices into the mix.
You were one of the first to use the GFOA “Rethinking Budgeting” assessment. What did you learn from that?
The budget is the policy document of the city; all things are driven from the budget. I knew that there was a better way to do it, I just wasn’t quite sure how to get there.
The assessment is designed to ask people that are touching different parts of the budget process an array of questions that are diagnostic and informative. What are we doing well? What do we think we’re doing well, but we’re not doing so well based on these opinions?
That’s eye opening. One of the things we’ve taken from it is that our staff members can help us identify areas where if we just did things a little bit differently, we could either earn more revenue or save more expense.
How does the assessment relate to ensuring your budget aligns with community needs, what some call “priority-based” budgeting?
Our priority-based budgeting implementation was not connected to the assessment. The priority system allows us to connect our budget with our strategic plan. In my opinion, it’s a better way to budget, a better way to communicate about the budget and a better way to demonstrate the return on investment.
(Glen E.Ellman)
That’s the importance of getting feedback from the survey I mentioned earlier. The survey is written in the context of the strategic plan and the strategic plan is tied explicitly to the budget. When we’re getting feedback on an annual basis, we’re able to see that people want to see more investment in, say, crime prevention, or more investment in street maintenance.
The survey is looking backward at how we performed, and the budget is looking forward at how we plan to perform.
Lately there’s been a lot of rhetoric suggesting government is wasteful and inefficient. Are your engagement efforts making it less likely that residents see you in this way?
There’s definitely an impact from what’s happening in the federal government, whether it’s on social media posts or people coming to council during citizen comment.
Assuming they still live in town, people who have gone through the City Academy are able to say to anyone they talk with, for example, “Here’s how the city really allocates tax revenue, and all of this information is on their website.” I hesitate to call them ambassadors, but they talk for us in the trenches.
We try to build trust, to have transparency in our communications, to never appear as though we’re behind closed doors. At no other level of government can you show up on a Tuesday night and get up to the lectern and tell your elected officials what you think. That gives us a tremendous advantage.
Any last thoughts?
There’s no copy-and-paste function in this. Every government is different. You have to tailor things to your local conditions, but if you’re willing to work at it and engage the community and empower staff, you can make a real difference in local government.
There’s nothing like it.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) – The Washington County Sheriff’s Office released video of deputies using a drone to track down a man wanted for damaging a car.
On Saturday, May 30, a 911 caller reported a man damaging a car outside their home on Southwest 179th Avenue in Aloha. The sheriff’s office said it was reported the suspect, 21-year-old Santos Paulino Castro-Ramirez, was punching the car.
Deputies used a drone to follow the suspect as he ran toward Southwest Barcelona Lane. The sheriff’s office said Castro-Ramirez then entered a white SUV that did not belong to him on SW Barcelona.
Deputies arrested Castro-Ramirez. He was booked into the Washington County Jail for first-degree burglary and attempt to commit a crime – second-degree theft.
Copyright 2026 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
Beirut, Lebanon – On Tuesday, representatives from Lebanon and Israel met at the US Department of State in Washington, DC – the first session of a two-day round of negotiations that Lebanese negotiators hope will end an invasion of their country.
The negotiations, which started at 9am local time (13:00 GMT), come as Israel’s invasion of Lebanon pushes deeper than at any point since the year 2000 and as Hezbollah and Israel continue to trade attacks. Israel has killed 3,468 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
With the war raging on, what do Lebanon and Israel have to discuss and will the talks lead to an end of the Israeli assault?
Here’s everything you need to know.
What will Israel and Lebanon discuss?
Similar to past meetings, the two sides are ostensibly looking to come to some kind of deal following fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with strong doubts it will be achieved.
Lebanon’s government is still pushing for a total ceasefire. However, as talks started, Israel was striking various parts of southern Lebanon. Lebanon is also trying to get Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory in the south, so that more than 1.2 million displaced people can return home, and so the state can resume finding a way to disarm Hezbollah and rebuild areas devastated by Israeli attacks.
Israel is meanwhile looking to get assurances that Lebanon will disarm Hezbollah, a prospect analysts say Israel knows is complicated by the continuation of its military operations and occupation of swaths of southern Lebanon. Instead, Israel appears to be trying to fuel sectarian tensions inside Lebanon, leading to chaos and internal strife.
What has happened so far?
An initial meeting took place in April between Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors to the United States. A second round took place in May with a larger delegation on both sides.
On Friday, a meeting took place with Lebanese and Israeli military representatives, while Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group, is not involved in the meetings.
Israel claimed the two sides found common ground in that they both wanted to see Hezbollah disarmed. Some Israeli officials suggested there may soon be trade agreements and an exchange of tourists between the two countries. Lebanon, however, said it preferred to find a deal closer to the 1949 armistice agreement between the two countries.
In the last meeting, Beirut reportedly outlined the damage done by Israeli attacks since the 2024 ceasefire agreement and presented detailed maps showing homes destroyed or razed by Israel.
Is there a chance for a ceasefire?
That remains to be seen, but for now, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s military would continue attacking Lebanon.
On Monday, Netanyahu announced that attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs would resume, despite a ceasefire. Apart from two targeted attacks, Israel has not struck the suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, since April.
Iran, which has attempted to include Lebanon in a wider ceasefire between themselves, on one side, and Israel and the US on the other, then intervened by threatening to attack northern Israel.
US President Donald Trump reportedly intervened to stop Israel’s attacks. He announced another ceasefire, after his previous announcement of one between Israel and Lebanon on April 16, after claiming he had gotten the approval of Netanyahu and spoken to Hezbollah.
“There will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way have already been turned back,” Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social.
But attacks from Israel and Hezbollah are continuing.
How do Lebanese people feel about the talks?
Not everyone is on the same page.
Some Lebanese support the talks and say they are the only option the state, which has little leverage, has. Among those who believe direct talks are the best way forward are Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
“There is no option other than negotiation,” Aoun said in a statement on Tuesday.
Others, however, oppose direct talks. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and his allies, Hezbollah, have said indirect talks are preferred and that negotiations cannot be conducted while attacks are ongoing.
How are Iran and the US connected?
Israel and the US attacked Iran on February 28, killing the country’s longtime leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran is Hezbollah’s primary benefactor, and two days after Khamenei’s assassination, Hezbollah fired six rockets towards Israel on 2 March.
Hezbollah’s response brought a huge response from Israel, who have crossed the Litani River – the supposed buzzer zone in southern Lebanon it had created – towards the Zahrani River.
Despite a 2024 ceasefire, Israel had never stopped attacking Lebanon, while Hezbollah had only responded once in December 2024.
Iran has attempted to include Lebanon in the ceasefire deal it has with the United States and Israel, who say this theatre is not part of the agreement.
Although Trump has now announced a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel twice, the invasion of southern Lebanon continues.
Are there other actors involved?
Gulf states have also intervened. Saudi Arabia has been working behind the scenes to get Lebanon’s leadership – Aoun, Salam and Berri – on the same page. Meanwhile, analysts say Saudi Arabia and Qatar engaged the Trump administration to stop an escalation in Lebanon.
The Washington Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 1, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 1 drawing
02-42-47-57-58, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 1 drawing
11
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Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 1 drawing
8-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Match 4 numbers from June 1 drawing
07-08-09-18
Check Match 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Hit 5 numbers from June 1 drawing
03-10-28-32-33
Check Hit 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Keno numbers from June 1 drawing
04-05-08-14-16-17-23-24-27-28-31-32-38-43-45-47-51-58-65-66
Check Keno payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto numbers from June 1 drawing
05-09-10-15-21-26
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 1 drawing
02-07-35-44-57, Powerball: 25
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Washington Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Washington Lottery’s regional offices.
To claim by mail, complete a winner claim form and the information on the back of the ticket, making sure you have signed it, and mail it to:
Washington Lottery Headquarters
PO Box 43050
Olympia, WA 98504-3050
For in-person claims, visit a Washington Lottery regional office and bring a winning ticket, photo ID, Social Security card and a voided check (optional).
Olympia Headquarters
Everett Regional Office
Federal Way Office
Spokane Department of Imagination
Vancouver Office
Tri-Cities Regional Office
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Washington Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Washington Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 8 p.m. PT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash Pop: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Pick 3: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Match 4: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Hit 5: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Daily Keno: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Lotto: 8 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:30 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Washington editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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