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
The Church of Jesus Christ has announced its 384th temple
The state of Washington is getting a seventh temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Marysville Washington Temple was announced Sunday night during a devotional in the Marysville Washington Stake by Elder Hugo E. Martinez, a General Authority Seventy in the church’s United States West Area Presidency.
“We are pleased to announce the construction of a temple in Marysville, Washington,” the First Presidency said in a statement. “The specific location and timing of the construction will be announced later. This is a reason for all of us to rejoice and express gratitude for such a significant blessing — one that will allow more frequent access to the ordinances, covenants and power that can only be found in the house of the Lord.”
The other temples in Washington are the Columbia River, Moses Lake, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Vancouver temples.
The church has 214 temples in operation. Plans for another 170 temples have been announced; many of those temples are in various stages of planning and construction.
Sunday’s temple announcement follows the new practice of the church’s First Presidency, which determines where temples will be built — and when and how they will be announced.
The First Presidency directed a General Authority Seventy to announce the first temple in Maine at a fireside there in December.
In January, church President Dallin H. Oaks said the Maine announcement set the pattern for future temple announcements.
“The best place to announce a temple is in that temple district,” he told the Deseret News.
The First Presidency will continue to decide where future temples will be built. It then will “assign someone else to make the announcement in the place where the temple will be built,” he said.
This pattern came to him as a strong impression after he assumed leadership of the church in October, following the death of his friend, President Russell M. Nelson.
This came as a strong impression to him shortly after he assumed the leadership of the church, President Oaks said.
The church remains in the midst of an aggressive temple-building era. President Nelson announced 200 new temples from 2018 to 2025. All but one were announced at general conference.
Five dozen temples are now under construction.
President Oaks now has overseen the announcement of two temples, neither at a general conference.
At the October conference he said that “with the large number of temples now in the very earliest phases of planning and construction, it is appropriate that we slow down the announcement of new temples.”
Ten new temples are scheduled to be dedicated in the next six months.
- May 3: Davao Philippines Temple.
- May 3: Lindon Utah Temple.
- May 31: Bacolod Philippines Temple.
- June 7: Yorba Linda California Temple.
- June 7: Willamette Valley Oregon Temple.
- Aug. 16: Belo Horizonte Brazil Temple.
- Aug. 16: Cleveland Ohio Temple.
- Aug. 30: Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple.
- Oct. 11: Miraflores Guatemala City Guatemala Temple.
- Oct. 18: Managua Nicaragua Temple.
Two-thirds of the 170 temples still to be built are outside the United States.
Temples are distinct from the meetinghouses where Latter-day Saints worship Jesus Christ each Sunday. Temples are closed on Sundays, but they open during the week as sanctuaries where church members go to find peace, make covenants with God and perform proxy ordinances for deceased relatives.
Washington
Washington football displays depth, talent at first spring scrimmage
On a perfect day in Seattle for football, Washington took the field inside Husky Stadium for its first scrimmage of spring practice, and ahead of his third season at the helm, Jedd Fisch seemed pleased with the results.
“Guys played and competed their ass off,” he said after the Huskies ran 120 plays. “That’s the type of day we want to have…We have a lot to work on, but we’re excited that today gave us this opportunity.”
The 120 plays had a little bit of everything, but the biggest thing the Huskies showed during the day was that, despite the inexperience that Fisch’s coaching staff is looking to lean on at several positions, there’s plenty of talent littering the roster. The best example of that is sophomore safety Paul Mencke Jr., who had his best practice in a Husky uniform after Fisch announced on Saturday that senior CJ Christian is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Paul’s done a great job of competing and being physical and playing fast, and you could see over these three years, he’s really grown into understanding now the system, and what’s asked of him as a safety,” Fisch said. “I think there’s a lot of in him that he wants to be like (safeties coach Taylor) Mays. He sees himself as a tall, linear, big hitter. So when you have your coach that is known for that type of play, I think Paul has done a great job.”
Mencke was all over the field. Not only did he lay some big hits, just like his safeties coach did during his time at USC, but the former four-star recruit also tallied a pair of pass breakups, an interception in a 7-on-7 period, and multiple strong tackles to hold ball carriers to limited yards.
While the defense did a good job getting pressure throughout the day and making the quarterbacks hold the ball with different looks on the back end, with safety Alex McLaughlin, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Logan George all among the players credited for a sack, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. got an opportunity to show off how he’s improved ahead of his junior year.
Early on, he showed off his well-known speed and athleticism, making the correct decision on a read option, pulling the ball and scampering for a 25-yard gain before displaying his touch. Throughout the day, his favorite target was junior receiver Rashid Williams, whom he found on several layered throws of 15-plus yards in the various scrimmage periods of practice.
On a day when every able-bodied member of the team was able to get several reps of live action, here are some of the other noteworthy plays from the day.
Spring practice notebook
- Freshman cornerback Jeron Jones was unable to participate in the scrimmage and was spotted working off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing their injuries.
- The running backs delivered a pair of big blows on the day. First, cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was on the receiving end of a big hit from redshirt freshman Quaid Carr before the former three-star recruit ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run on the next play. Later on, every player on offense had a lot of fun cheering on freshman Ansu Sanoe after he leveled Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, letting the sophomore linebacker hear all about it when the play was whistled dead.
- Sophomore wide receiver Justice Williams put together a strong day with several contested catches, showing off his strong hands and 6-foot-4 frame, including a 25-yard catch and run off a drag route from backup quarterback Elijah Brown.
- Of all the tackles for a loss the Huskies were able to rack up throughout the day, two stood out. First, junior defensive tackle Elinneus Davis burst through the middle of the line to wrap up freshman running back Brian Bonner. Later on, freshman outside linebacker Ramzak Fruean wasn’t even touched as he shot through a gap in the offensive line to track down a play from behind, letting the entire offensive sideline know about the play on his way back to his own bench.
- The Huskies experimented with several defensive line combinations on Saturday, and for the first time this spring, it felt like freshman Derek Colman-Brusa took the majority of his reps alongside someone other than Davis, who he said has taken on an older brother role to help mentor the top-ranked in-state prospect in the 2026 class.
“Elinneus is a phenomenal guy. Great work ethic. He’s kind of taken on that older brother mentor for me. He’s been a great help just to learn plays and learn the scheme. Can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
- Ball State transfer Darin Conley took a handful of reps with the first team, while rotating with Colman-Brusa, who got a lot of work in alongside Sacramento State transfer DeSean Watts.
Washington
Sioux Falls art teachers show ‘incredible’ work at Washington Pavilion
Twenty Sioux Falls School District art teachers have their own original pieces on display at the Washington Pavilion’s University Gallery now through May 31.
The “Teachers as Artists” exhibit showcases their work not just as educators, but as artists inside and outside of the classroom, and highlights how art education builds critical thinking, creative problem-solving and self-expression skills.
Edison Middle School art teacher Meagan Turbak-Fogarty said she dreamt of such a showcase since her first year teaching.
She and Kathy Dang, an art teacher at Marcella LeBeau Elementary School who also serves on the city’s Visual Arts Committee, partnered with the city and Washington Pavilion to bring the showcase to life.
Turbak-Fogarty has taught at Edison for five years and said her passion for art is “instantly felt” on her classroom walls, but that students have asked where they could see her art in the classroom, or what kind of art she creates in her own time.
“I always felt the feeling that I stand in front of all these kids every single day and preach about how much I love art, and how art has changed my life,” Turbak-Fogarty said. “That got me thinking, ‘I want to show them.’”
Some of her works on display at the Pavilion include art she created in her first year teaching, including a large Cheetos bag she created as an example for her eighth grade classroom when they were working on a large chip bag project. Turbak-Fogarty said she loves painting, working with acrylics and unconventional materials.
“I wanted to show my students that art can be anything,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be hanging up in a museum to be considered art.”
Continuing to do her own art while teaching the subject helps keep her inspired, Turbak-Fogarty explained, adding that it helps her push her own creativity when it comes to projects she works on with students.
Samantha Levisay, an art teacher at John Harris Elementary School, showed three pieces in the show — “Moments in Time,” “Midnight Butterfly Garden” and “Whimsy” — with the same mixed media, watercolor and printmaking skills that she teaches in different units at every elementary grade.
Levisay educates her students that “art is everywhere.” She said her favorite memories as an art teacher are “moments when I show students a lesson, and they take it even further.”
“Kids are so creative; I marvel at them all the time,” she said. “They inspire me every day with their endless creativity and imagination.”
Roosevelt High School art teacher Ruth Hillman showed two pieces in the show: “The Potato on the Wall,” a mixed media work, and a collection of her handmade clay charms in a shadow box.
She also wore some of her art — miniature potato earrings made of clay.
Hillman is in her third year at RHS. When she’s not teaching art, she’s also making art, and sells her charms at shows like the Art Collective.
Washington High School art teacher Mollie Potter displayed a three-part painting series at the show that she said were inspired by her English language learner students’ stories, and how teachers help students “take flight,” as represented by balloons, parachutes and kites in her work.
Porter said she is often inspired by her students’ art in the classroom; for example, one former student was obsessed with swans, and Porter said she later created a painting inspired by one of the student’s stories about swans.
At an April 17 reception, Mayor Paul TenHaken emphasized the arts as an “important economic driver in the community,” and said the show honored educators “who are artists in and of themselves,” but who might not have had a chance to display their art outside the classroom before.
“This is a way for us to honor them and show their incredible work,” TenHaken said.
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