Voters in Pierce County are making their opposition to a proposed county office building official. Nearly 60 percent of the votes counted Tuesday at the end of the general election supported a citizen-sponsored referendum that seeks to repeal the County Council's decision earlier this year for the county to build a general-services building in Tacoma. The outcome is expected to be the death knell for the project, which met public opposition over its projected cost of $230 million. The referendum result virtually mirrors the sentiment of voters in a non-binding advisory vote in the primary election in August. Fifty-six percent of the votes said no to the question of whether the county should go ahead with financing and construction of the multi-story building. Twernty-seven percent of the county's registered voters participated in the election, according to county election officials. The turnout was 21 percent in the primary. Construction initially was scheduled to start this year. County officials have said the project is jeopardized by delays brought on by the advisory and referendum votes. County Executive Pat McCarthy, a leading supporter of the project, won the council's backing of the project with claims that taxpayers would save tens of millions of dollars if the office complex is built and becomes the home of 19 county agencies. She said the savings would come from the consolidation under one roof of departments that now occupy leased space.
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