Pierce County Executive-elect Bruce Dammeier will resign his position as a state senator Dec. 31, in preparation to take his new office next month and to head off any possible overlap of the two. In a letter delivered to Governor Jay Inslee, Dammeier noted that a recently-approved amendment to the Pierce County charter requires that he resign his Senate before assuming his new position. Charter Amendment 44, which approved by the county's voters in the general election last month, prohibits elected county officials from holding most other elective positions, including in the Legislature. Also announcing her resignation from the Senate is a newly elected County Council member. Pam Roach, who won a race for the council seat that represents parts of the Puyallup and Tacoma areas, said early in her campaign that she might keep her Senate seat if elected to the council, but late indicated she would resign from the Senate. That will happen Jan. 3, she said recently. Dammeier would have left the Senate even if he hadn't won the race for county executive, which he chose to run for instead of re-election. His current term as a senator is scheduled to expire on Jan. 9, the opening day of the 2017 session of the Legislature. Terms of Pierce County elected officials begin Jan. 1. Dammeier, a Republican and Puyallup resident, is the first non-Tacoma residsent to serve as county executive. “It has been an incredible experience serving with my colleagues from across the state" as a legislator "to make a difference in state-government policy. I look forward to doing the same for the citizens of Pierce County,” Dammeier said.
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