Fight over Pierce County’s flag policy ends in exec’s favor after veto override fails
Pierce County Council Democrats failed to secure enough votes Tuesday to override Executive Bruce Dammeier’s veto of a policy meant to regulate the flying of so-called “special flags” over the County-City Building.
That means a policy created by Dammeier’s office will stand.
A veto override requires a supermajority of five votes. The Democratic majority carried the 4-3 vote but failed to convert a Republican council member.
The Republican Dammeier issued a veto last week of a separate flag policy passed by the County Council on a partisan 4-3 vote last month. The council Democrats crafted the policy after their effort to win support for flying the Pride flag over the County-City Building last year failed to gain Dammeier’s support. Their policy would have required a simple majority vote by the council to fly a special flag.
The Executive Office’s policy states that flags other than the U.S. flag, the POW/MIA flag and the Pierce County flag only will be flown over the County-City Building upon a unanimous request from the County Council with no objections from presiding county judges.
The County Council was not asked to vote on Dammeier’s policy, which sparked a dispute over who has the authority to make such rules.
Council member Ryan Mello (D-Tacoma) said Tuesday he objected to both Dammeier’s policy and his veto.
“I just think it’s really harmful to our local democracy to go down this road to set this standard of unanimity to make a decision which isn’t found anywhere that I can find in our code or our charter,” Mello said.
Council member Marty Campbell (D-Tacoma) said failing to overturn the veto would set a bad precedent.
“This vote today determines who we think is the policy maker in this organization, and who is in charge of implementing policy,” Campbell said.
Dammeier told The News Tribune last week he has a role in the legislative process and that is to approve or veto legislation.
Council member Amy Cruver (R-Eatonville) said Tuesday she stands by the executive’s authority, pointing out that Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed an electrical grid reliability bill (HB 1623) that garnered unanimous approval in both the chambers of the state Legislature.
“It’s not uncommon that it happens, and I understand the feelings. However, I would stand with a prior vote,” Cruver said.
Chair Derek Young (D-Gig Harbor) agreed with Democratic members, while Council members Jani Hitchen (D-Parkland), Hans Zeiger (R-Puyallup) and Dave Morell (R-Lake Tapps) did not share comments on the vote.
Young has not decided whether to ask the courts to weigh in on the matter, council spokesperson Brynn Grimley said.
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
