County Government

Inflation has turned Washington state’s property tax cap into a county budget-killer

Frustrated county officials say state leaders have shunted the state’s financial burden onto local governments.

  • By Daniel Walters, Investigate West

988 currently doesn't use geolocation services. Counties want to change that.

Counties are pushing for Congress to pass legislation that will require calls be routed based on location. Wireless carriers are already working with the federal government to start doing that.

  • By Kery Murakami

Senate approves six spending bills, averts partial government shutdown

Counties praised the package for addressing Medicaid access for the incarcerated. Now, congressional negotiators turn to the remaining six spending bills, which will determine the future of internet subsidies and other significant programs.

  • By Kery Murakami

Federal permitting hampers climate goals and natural disaster mitigation, counties say

Officials, who are calling for reforms, say environmental regulations shouldn’t lead to yearslong waits to build transmission lines or impede their ability to respond to natural disasters.

  • By Kery Murakami

FAA boosts airport infrastructure with nearly $1B in grants

The money, which is part of the 2021 federal infrastructure law, will help airports accommodate more passengers, make their facilities more accessible to people with disabilities and prepare for climate change.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

County officials lobby for internet subsidies

The FCC is currently turning away hundreds of thousands seeking assistance. If Congress doesn’t soon approve more funding, rural and urban county officials warn, millions will be plunged into “digital darkness.”

  • By Kery Murakami

The U.S. Supreme Court Could Upend Local Property Tax Laws

The justices heard a case last week on a Minnesota county's profit on a seized condo. A ruling could change property seizure programs nationwide.

  • By Liz Farmer

State & Local Roundup: Top Counties Return to Pre-pandemic Populations

Plus: Seattle gig workers get paid sick leave; Chicago and Wisconsin go to the polls; California’s insulin experiment hits a bump; Big gaps in electric vehicle ownership; and more news you can use from around the country.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau, Daniel C. Vock and Molly Bolan

America’s Massive Gap Providing Mental Health Services

Counties are pushing Congress to help fix the problem, which is especially bad in rural communities. But whether lawmakers will do so as part of upcoming budget legislation is unclear.

  • By Kery Murakami

In a Rural Corner of the West, a Local Level Push to Revive Passenger Rail

Cuts in the late 1970s ended Amtrak service across southern Montana. Now, a county-led coalition wants to bring it back.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

America’s Election Systems are More Than Just Machines

COMMENTARY | They’re people, who are overworked, underpaid and feeling pressured.

  • By Amal Ahmed

Local Election Officials Brace for Possible Violence and Threats

With worries over armed poll “monitors,” voter intimidation and risks to staff, some are coordinating with law enforcement or conducting special training ahead of Election Day.

  • By Kery Murakami
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Trump Allies Have Interviewed Nearly 200 Election Officials to Probe for Weaknesses

Volunteers for “Operation Eagles Wings” are using surveys in eight states to seek support for conspiracy theories.

  • By Jen Fifield, Votebeat

Texas AG Says Counties Can Spend Covid Relief Funds on Extra Pay for Elected Officials Without Public Notice

The nonbinding legal opinion states local elected and appointed officials can receive up to $25,000 for work done during the Covid-19 pandemic on top of their regular salaries. Unlike other pay raises, these “premium pay” bonuses don’t need to be declared to the public ahead of time.

  • By Trent Brown, The Texas Tribune

One County’s Solution to Controversial Confederate Road Names: Switch to Numbers

But dissenters argue it’s all part of a plot to erase their Confederate heroes from history.

  • By Tom Shoop

A New Mexico Official Who Joined the Capitol Attacks is Barred From Politics

COMMENTARY | The little-known law behind the removal has some potential pitfalls for democracy.

  • By Aziz Huq, David Landau and Tom Ginsburg

It’s Time for Congress to Step Up Its Support for Public Lands Counties

COMMENTARY | Local governments with huge swaths of federal land make important contributions to the nation’s economy, but also face unique challenges. Lawmakers should act to shore up the programs they depend on.

  • By Todd Devlin

$1K Monthly Payments Begin Under 3-Year Guaranteed Income Program

Los Angeles County says its 1,000-participant initiative will be among the nation’s longest-running.

  • By Molly Bolan

A Library Struck by Controversy That Began Over a Book It Didn’t Own

In Boundary County, Idaho a local librarian decided to resign citing a “political atmosphere of extremism.” The situation there mirrors a trend affecting libraries around the country.

  • By Molly Bolan

Collaboration, Training Key to Local Government Cyber Defense

By taking advantage of free resources, education and partnerships, local officials can better prepare their counties and cities for inevitable attacks, experts say.

  • By Chris Teale

What Brought Down One Texas County’s Entire Elections Department? It Was Something in the Water

Aggrieved anti-fluoride activists, low pay and understaffing eventually drove away Gillespie County’s election officials.

  • By Natalia Contreras, Votebeat