TPCHD takeover: Brazen defiance of public will
I attended the Pierce County Council’s Rules Committee meeting on Dec. 8 to hear ordinance 2020-136, to put the county in sole control of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
About 90 people wished to speak, and about 30 people did. The Tacoma mayor expressed her disappointment; she had not been consulted, nor had the chair of the TPCHD board.
The committee heard from physicians, health care organizations and union representatives. All oppose the ordinance.
The committee, after all the heartfelt opposing testimony, voted 2-1 advancing it to the full council with a “do pass” recommendation.
Given all the testimony they heard, it is very difficult to reconcile how they came to that decision.
The entire process has been compressed to just a two-week period, coinciding with the end of several council members’ terms, saddling the new council with an unwanted, ill-conceived ordinance that cannot easily be repealed.
Gayle Sommers, University Place
This story was originally published December 12, 2020 at 10:37 AM with the headline "TPCHD takeover: Brazen defiance of public will."