County Council approves $158 million COVID-19 spending plan despite oversight concerns
A unanimous Pierce County Council passed a $158 million COVID-19 spending plan Tuesday despite trepidation from a majority of members that the budget lacks proper oversight.
The money came to the county as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES act. The money is earmarked for contact tracing, coronavirus testing, economic stabilization and community support services.
The money was divided into five priorities: $67 million for public health emergency response, $30 million for economic stabilization and recovery programs, $22 million for community response and resilience, $15 million for essential government services and $23 million to be set aside in reserves.
Up to 60 percent of the funds may be spent within 60 days with review of the County Council, which will receive weekly updates from County Executive Bruce Dammeier and department heads on how the money is being allocated.
Chairman Doug Richardson and Council member Dave Morell said that approach gives department heads and the health department flexibility to pivot if necessary.
Richardson pointed to Washington state’s experience with ventilators as an example for why flexibility is needed. In the first weeks of Washington’s coronavirus pandemic, the state asked for ventilators from the federal stockpile. Last month, Washington began returning those ventilators due to lower coronavirus cases than models projected.
Morrell pointed to Human Services, saying that there could be unexpected repercussions that the department has to adjust for. He said after the “stay at home”order lifts, there could be increases in domestic violence calls, and there needs to be flexibility to allocate needed funds to help.
“Funds need to be allocated in a timely manner,” he said. “ We don’t have the time to debate this for weeks on end.”
Most of the council felt the weekly reports were not enough oversight. Council member Connie Ladenburg said she felt like the council was “giving up” its most important power.
“We are the budget authority of the county. That’s one of our primary purposes of being,” Ladenburg said.
A steering committee created and headed by Richardson and Dammeier examined spending priorities before Tuesday’s vote. The committee included Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, Steilacoom Mayor Ron Lucas, Port Commissioner Deanna Keller, Puyallup Tribe Chairman David Bean and seven community leaders.
Ladenburg was joined by Council members Derek Young and Pam Roach in voicing concern that the steering committee made budgetary decisions and that council members were not more involved in the decision-making process.
“I don’t feel comfortable with someone handing me something that I’m expected just to rubber stamp,” Roach said. “This outside committee determined how we are going to spend this.”
“I’ll be blunt, there has never been a more important appropriation bill. This is life or death. If we get this wrong, people will die. Our economy doesn’t open up the right way if we do this wrong,” Young said.
Without a clear road map, Ladenburg and Council member Marty Campbell repeatedly asked for more clarification on specific issues, like veteran services and homeless services. Ladenburg referenced the behavioral health tax vote that failed in February because some members said there needed to be more of a plan for spending that money.
“This reminds me of a few months ago when i heard from several council members that there is no plan, so we should not go forward,” she said. “That’s now what we are being asked to do.”
When it became apparent the CARES spending plan did not have the required “super-majority,” or five of seven votes to pass emergency legislation, Young relented and Campbell, Ladenburg and Roach followed.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 1:29 PM with the headline "County Council approves $158 million COVID-19 spending plan despite oversight concerns."
