Effective Local Government

$3 million grant to help increase affordable housing across the Kansas City region

New Community Project Funding (CPF) will help increase access to affordable housing options for individuals and families throughout the Kansas City region. Recently announced by U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), the $3 million grant will help: increase affordable housing production. provide resources for homeownership education, down payment assistance and minor home repairs. support creation […]

by Kristin Johnson-Waggoner

2021 Public Service Career Expo showcases rewarding jobs in local government

Over 4,000 young people from across the Kansas City region attended the first-ever virtual Public Service Career Expo in November. The free event showcased high-demand and dynamic career paths available in local government. More than 50 presenters from 10 different public sector areas participated. As part of the expo, students learned about the Agile Work […]

by Kristin Johnson-Waggoner

New Local Government Services Dept. director focused on partner engagement

Engaging and collaborating with government partners is the focus of a new department at MARC led by Lauren Palmer. Palmer has been with MARC since September 2018 and most recently served as program director of Local Government Services. Prior to joining MARC, she worked for 14 years in local government management for cities in Iowa, […]

by Kristin Johnson-Waggoner

Thank you, public health staff and leaders

This season, we are thankful for many things including our region’s local public health departments for their commitment to keeping our communities safe. Each county in the Kansas City metropolitan region and some larger cities have a local public health department dedicated to detecting, controlling and preventing communicable diseases. Health departments also offer a wide […]

by Laura Bogue

The 2021-2022 Public Officials Directory is here

MARC’s 2021–2022 Public Officials Directory is now available. The directory lists officials in the nine-county metropolitan region served by MARC, as well as federal and state officials for the area, information about cities, fire and emergency medical service agencies, chambers of commerce, local economic development agencies, school districts, agencies providing public transit services and news […]

by Joe Gauer

Shared Services webinar to discuss staff efficiency for public service

Representatives from jurisdictions across the region are invited to attend the “Understanding Shared Services” webinar on Oct. 28 to learn how communities can improve capacity and efficiency while saving costs by working with the Institute of Building Technology and Safety (IBTS). Curt Skoog, branch manager, will provide an overview of IBTS’s shared services, provide examples […]

by Catherine Couch

Need to complete the 2020 census? The clock is ticking.

The 2020 Census will end in just over a month on Sept. 30. Because of the shortened deadline, local leaders are encouraging residents across the region to respond now or risk losing federal dollars for vital community services. “We cannot understate the importance of getting a complete and accurate count of Kansas City residents,” said […]

by Laura Bogue

Kansas City G2U Annual Regional Coalition Conference

The Government-to-University (G2U) Coalition will present the G2U Annual Regional Coalition Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, 8 a.m. to noon. This networking event is a great way for government officials to make university connections and help attract the brightest talent for your organization. In turn, university partners can meet those in government who want […]

by Paul Lampe

Regional Roundup: Metro communities recognized for their accomplishments

Each month, our Management Matter newsletter highlights the awards and recognitions earned by local governments throughout Greater Kansas City. Recent highlights include: LendEDU ranks Olathe as a budget-friendly city for renters — LendEDU, an online marketplace for financial products, ranked Olathe, Kansas, as the most budget-friendly city for renters in Kansas. LendEDU also ranked Olathe […]

by Amy Strange

Webinar offers economic insights and forecast for recovery

On June 25, MARC provided a webinar for local officials about the economic issues the region faces and the needs resulting from the economic crisis. Donna Ginther, professor of economics and director of the Institute for Policy & Social Research at KU, spoke about the impact of the twin pandemic and economic crises on communities. […]