Pierce County councilor declines raise in ‘26: ‘I do not feel it is appropriate’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pierce County Council approved 2% raises for top officials in 2026 and 2027.
- Council charter ties member pay to 60% of Executive salary; Bryan Yambe alone eligible.
- Yambe declined the 2026 raise, will stay at $137,889.32 annual salary.
One day after The News Tribune reported that newly-elected Pierce County Council member Bryan Yambe would be the only councilor eligible for a raise in 2026-2027, Yambe announced he would refuse any pay increase in 2026.
“In a time when many working families are feeling the effects of rising costs, I do not feel it is appropriate for me to take a pay increase,” Yambe said in a news release Tuesday. “Serving on the Pierce County Council is a privilege. My focus remains on the people I represent and the services they rely on, not on my own compensation.”
On Tuesday the council voted to approve 2% raises for high-ranking officials in 2026 and another 2% raise in 2027: the executive, sheriff, assessor-treasurer and auditor. The county charter requires that council members “receive 60% of the Executive’s salary” but “no council member may receive a salary increase for the term of office during which the ordinance establishing the increase is adopted.” Yambe did not vote and the six other council members voted in favor of the motion.
Yambe was the only council member eligible for a raise in 2026 since he is the only member who begins his term in January. He was appointed to the council in January to fill the District 5 position vacated by the now-Assessor-Treasurer Marty Campbell. Yambe was elected in November to finish Campbell’s council term, which was set to end in 2026.
In order to get a raise in 2027, Yambe would need to be re-elected in the 2026 cycle for that increase to take effect, he told The News Tribune on Tuesday. Yambe will continue to make $137,889.32 for 2026, according to the county.
“This is a personal decision. I respect the process that reviews and sets compensation for elected officials,” Yambe said. “For me, the right choice at this time is to step back from any increase and keep my salary at its current level. I will keep working to ensure Pierce County government is accountable, transparent and focused on delivering results for our communities.”
