Sheriff not getting all he wanted in county budget

Money for handicap-friendly restrooms at Frontier Park in Graham is part of a new budget for Pierce County that also gives a boost to law enforcement but leaves the county sheriff wanting more.

The County Council last week approved a spending plan for county government for 2018. It enacts many of the requests made by County Executive Bruce Dammeier in the first budget he proposed since taking office at the start of this year. The 2017 budget was crafted by his predecessor, Pat McCarthy, and finalized by the council.

Public safety, behavioral health and related issues, and parks are primary focuses of the new budget, which Councilman Doug Richardson described as “addressing the needs of our residents.”

Frontier Park is an example. The popular, well-used site of the Pierce County Fair and other community events is scheduled for upgrades of handicap-accessible restrooms.

For public safety, the Sheriff Department will receive $200,000 for its role in helping people with mental illnesses and drug problems when they run afoul of the law, a switch of two deputy positions to lieutenants, two jail officers, and the addition of a community liaison project coordinator.

Sheriff Paul Pastor, in a statement after the budget’s approval Nov. 21, noted the allocations for his agency fell short of what he requested -- 13 additional deputies and 13 more corrections officers.

“Bottom line: We will work hard with what we were given, but we need more,” Pastor said.

He said he will “continue to stress” to Dammeier and the council “the need for additional deputies to properly serve the citizens in large and rapidly growing Pierce County. The positions which were approved are a step toward filling the gap, and hopefully we will continue to build additional momentum in the budget for 2019.”

Other allocations in the approximately $320 million budget for next year that were singled out by officials as keys to various issues include:

•  A combined $2 million to run mobile units to deal with issues related to homelessness and mental health problems and a behavioral health diversion center. The latter program is planned in Spanaway.
•  $75,000 for the United Way Center for Strong Families at Bethel.
• An additional deputy prosecutor and a legal assistant for the prosecuting attorney’s office.
• Funding to help District Court begin a special court for cases involving veterans.
• Money for visitor and tourism-related organizations, including Visit Rainier.
• Another employee for the assessor-treasurer to help process new applications and renewals for property tax breaks for low-income seniors and disabled persons.

• $150,000 for the Planning and Public Works Department to coordinate community cleanups.