OLYMPIA — The Washington State Archives announced this week that $537,759 will be distributed among 27 local government agencies through the Local Records Grant Program.
The Local Records Grant Program of the Washington State Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, helps local government agencies upgrade technological resources for records management and better respond to requests for public records. Since its inception in 2005, the program has awarded more than $4.5 million to hundreds of government entities, including cities, towns, and counties; fire, school, hospital, port, and public-utility districts; transit authorities; and more.
“I am grateful the Local Records Grant Program is available to local governments with tight budgets across the state,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “This is a vital resource to preserve and protect records. With these grants, our cities, counties, and other trusted government institutions can provide greater efficiency and security.”
Among this year’s recipients, the city of Chelan was awarded $50,000 to bolster its digital imaging.
“This substantial grant will propel our continuous efforts to enhance transparency and efficiency within the city,” city of Chelan Clerk/Public Records Officer Peri Gallucci said. “With unwavering support from the Washington State Archives, we are moving closer to the finish line of a project that began in 2017.”
The city of Tekoa, in Whitman County, will receive a grant of $12,288 to carry out organizational projects.
“This grant will help us do some critical upgrades and get us on the right track for much smoother, quicker records management,” Tekoa Clerk/Treasurer Eliza Evans-Teague said. “We are very excited to put updated physical and filing systems in place and safeguard our records.”
Applications for the 2025-26 cycle will open in February 2025.
The Washington State Archives collects and preserves the state’s historical records and makes them available to the public, with branches in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney, Ellensburg, and Olympia.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Office of the Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.