Inslee pauses the termination of health departments. What’s it mean for Pierce County?
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a proclamation on Monday that would pause efforts to dissolve health departments, including a controversial one under way in Pierce County.
Inslee said the proclamation ensures stability in public health departments throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
“This proclamation puts a pause in effect on efforts to terminate a health district or a city-county health department such as what is currently taking place in Pierce County,” he said in a Monday news conference.
The Pierce County Council has scheduled a final vote for Tuesday, Dec. 15, that would dissolve the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and start the process to create a health department run strictly by county government.
It is unclear whether the scheduled vote will occur.
“Ultimately it is up to the chairman and the Council to decide whether to proceed with the vote Dec. 15 as scheduled,” Pierce County Council spokesperson Brynn Grimley told The News Tribune on Monday. “At this time no decision has been announced.”
If passed, the ordinance would dissolve the existing health department, but a timeline for the dissolution has not yet been determined.
The Governor’s Office later told The News Tribune that if the county proceeds with the vote, it will be doing so in violation of the law.
While the interlocal agreement is between the city and the county, the office said Washington’s law on declared states of emergency allow the governor to take action in activities “he or she reasonably believes should be prohibited to help preserve and maintain life, health, property or the public peace.”
The health department issued a statement following the press conference supporting Inslee’s proclamation.
“We are grateful to the many residents, community partners, health care providers and elected officials who support our agency in remaining an independent, neutral, public health department,” the statement said.
Inslee’s proclamation contains exceptions. A joint health department could terminate its agreement if all parties involved agree to the termination, or one party could receive approval from the Washington State Department of Health.
“This pause will allow public health employees to focus their energies on the most challenging chapter yet in our pandemic response,” Inslee said. “They cannot be frustrated in their work by extraneous debate.”
The City of Tacoma and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department both have expressed concern with Pierce County’s proposal and asked the county to have discussions before the vote.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department was created in 1972 in an interlocal agreement between Tacoma and Pierce County. The current ordinance would notify Tacoma of Pierce County’s intent to sever the interlocal agreement and terminate the health department.
The vote is expected to be partisan, with the current Republican majority passing the measure. Council Republicans have told The News Tribune the ordinances stems from a desire to have direct representation in public health and cost-saving efficiencies.
Council member Pam Roach (R-Puyallup) sponsored the bill. She said she believes the move would lead to more direct representation when it comes to public health.
A county health department would answer to the County Council instead of an eight-member board, half of which are Pierce County elected officials, two from Tacoma City Council, one from the Pierce County Cities and Towns Association and one from the Pierce County Medical Society.
Other Republican council members, like Chairman Doug Richardson (Lakewood-R) and Vice Chair Dave Morell (Lake Tapps-R), have argued there would be efficiencies if the county ran the health department.
Council Democrats, members of the medical community and others have questioned the necessity and timing of the proposal.
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 4:39 PM.
