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Pierce County Council confirms Julie DeMuth as finance director, 5-0
Summary
The Pierce County Council voted 5-0 to confirm Julie DeMuth as director of the finance department after the executive’s appointment; council members praised her transparency initiatives and experience with the county’s Workday implementation.
The Pierce County Council confirmed Julie DeMuth as director of the county’s finance department on April 8, 2025, following a public hearing and a roll call vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays (one member excused).
County rules require the executive to appoint department chief officers, subject to council confirmation. The clerk read Proposal R2025‑130, which the council moved and seconded for adoption. The executive introduced DeMuth as the top candidate from a field of 22 applicants and highlighted her leadership on enterprise systems and public transparency initiatives.
Julie DeMuth told the council she has worked in Pierce County’s finance department for about 12 years, primarily on budget development and public transparency efforts. The executive noted DeMuth’s role in implementing the county’s Workday enterprise resource planning system and her work establishing the Open Pierce County portal for budget and performance data.
Council members asked questions and offered endorsements at the confirmation hearing. Council member Ayala praised the transparency dashboards and the quality of DeMuth’s briefings. Council member Yambe and others said DeMuth translates numbers into accessible narratives for decision makers and the public. Council member Murrell expressed appreciation for DeMuth’s institutional knowledge and urged support for fiscal sustainability and staff retention as the county prepares for uncertain revenues.
A member of the public, Terry Heard, urged the council to be “fiscally responsible and conservative” in the county’s spending. No other public commenters spoke on the appointment.
The council then called the roll: Council member Denson was excused; Council members Yambe, Ayala, Kuver, Morel and Hitchens voted aye. With five ayes, resolution R2025‑130 confirming Julie DeMuth as finance director was adopted.
Authorities cited during the hearing included the Pierce County Charter Section 3.3 and county code sections governing department creation and director qualifications. DeMuth’s written materials submitted for the committee review included a questionnaire, resume and application packet; the appointment had received a due‑pass recommendation from the Rules and Operations Committee on March 31.
DeMuth’s stated priorities during the hearing included continuing to build data and equity analysis for budget decisions and sustaining the county’s financial systems.
