Pierce County just approved a $3.2 billion budget. Here’s where the money’s going
The Pierce County Council has approved a $3.2 billion biennial budget for 2024-2025, a 1.2% increase from the 2022-2023 budget. Executive Bruce Dammeier will still need to sign it into law and it will take effect Jan. 1.
The final budget unanimously approved Tuesday, Nov. 21, allotted about $226 million for the Sheriff’s Department, $160 million for corrections and $217 million for homelessness services and prevention.
The county will use about $98.7 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to fund a variety of services and initiatives. Revenue for the general fund (which funds services like the Sheriff’s Department, corrections, courts, County Council and the Executive’s Office, among others) is about $895 million, including about $600 million in tax revenue.
In October, The News Tribune reported about priorities identified in County Executive Bruce Dammeier’s budget proposal, including public safety, transportation and congestion relief, aging and disability services, economic development, broadband access and graffiti and litter removal.
Other highlights of the budget include a $4.2 million investment to increase behavioral health services in the county, $1 million to continue and expand youth drop-in educational and social activities outside of school, $6 million to fund the Pierce County Business Accelerator and Community Navigator Programs to invest in entrepreneurship, especially among Black, Indigenous and people of color, $12.8 million for broadband infrastructure development and $50 million for parks and trails.
“I’m proud of this budget,” said Council Chair Ryan Mello in a council news release Wednesday, Nov. 22. “This budget reflects the Council’s priorities and our community’s needs; we were able to make significant investments across all of our priority areas and employ innovative strategies to address some of our most pressing issues.”
More investment in public safety, Sheriff deputies
As previously reported by The News Tribune, despite an increase in funding to the Sheriff’s Department compared to the 2022-2023 budget, staffing numbers for deputies and corrections officers will be lower in 2024-2025.
Instead of adding more positions, the focus would be on filling existing jobs. The Sheriff’s Department has had challenges attracting and retaining patrol deputies and corrections officers to work at the county jail.
The 2024-2025 budget has 188.5 full-time deputies on staff, down from 202.5 budgeted deputies in 2022-2023, and 248 corrections officers, down from about 260 budgeted officers in 2022-2023. Nine vacant correction officers positions are being closed, and 12 vacant deputy positions are being closed, with an additional two vacant positions each converted to other job classifications.
Additional public safety investments include:
$2.65 million for employment incentives for the Sheriff’s Department;
$950,000 for technology body-camera upgrades;
$410,000 for Sheriff’s Corrections Department Jail Confinement Alternative Program, which provides electronic monitoring in lieu of incarceration in some misdemeanor cases;
$345,000 for employment incentives for Juvenile Court detention officers;
$250,000 for contracted community mobilization services (like leading and facilitating neighborhood organizing initiatives to prevent and report illegal activity, build partnerships with law enforcement and engage youth to prevent violence).
About $970,000 for a Civilian Review Board in 2025 was scrapped, with that funding going to a Special Projects fund within the Sheriff’s Department. A discussion to form the board was tabled indefinitely May 8 amid ongoing negotiations with collective bargaining units within the Sheriff’s Department.
Nearly a $100 million to address housing and homelessness
The Housing and Homeless fund is over $99.8 million, according to the final budget.
Up to $50.5 million of ARPA funding will be used to fund community response and resilience programs related to housing and homelessness including:
$17 million for the controversial Pierce County Village project;
$6.5 million for the Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness;
$5.5 million for emergency shelter services;
$2.5 million for a low-barrier homeless stability site outside Tacoma;
$1.3 million for rent and utility assistance to people in Pierce County at risk of eviction;
$750,000 for a tiny home village (location to be determined);
$550,000 for civil legal aid to low-income people in Pierce County who are at risk of homelessness;
$520,000 for an additional safe parking site, as well as support the four existing safe parking sites for those experiencing homelessness for two years.
In the county budget is also:
$2.75 million for Pierce County Community Development Corporation to establish an affordable housing and preservation rapid acquisition program to acquire land or real property for affordable housing development or preservation, assist nonprofit organizations with purchasing land or real property for affordable housing;
$100,000 to Family Promise of Pierce County to provide prevention services for low-income families at risk or experiencing homelessness;
$25,000 to Key Peninsula Partnership for a Healthy Community to provide food, housing, transportation and health care support to the community;
$20,000 to Harbor Hope Center of WA to assist homeless youth;
$20,000 to Oxford Homes to support sober housing and recovery programs.
This story was originally published November 24, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
