Pierce County executive proposes lean biennial budget prioritizing public safety, housing and behavioral health

County Executive Brian Mello on Sept. 23 presented a biennial budget proposal that keeps public safety spending largely intact while seeking ways to manage a structural revenue shortfall driven by slow sales-tax growth and waning pandemic-era federal funds.

Mello framed the proposal, which he called “Forward Together,” as a pragmatic plan to protect essential services as the county navigates fiscal uncertainty. He told the council that about 77% of the general fund is dedicated to public safety and criminal justice, and that the sheriff’s office alone accounts for roughly 42% of that share — a portion he said equates to approximately $380 million when combined with courts, juvenile services, public defenders and related agencies. “We face significant headwinds and our financial path forward is quite uncertain,” Mello said, citing lower-than-expected sales-tax receipts and the expiration of one-time COVID-related aid.

The administration proposes concentrating new hires and investments in law enforcement and criminal justice while advancing four cross-cutting priorities: affordable housing, behavioral health and expanded detox services, crime reduction and prevention programs, and the Vision Zero transportation safety initiative. On housing, the executive said Pierce County needs roughly 5,700 new units annually over the next 20 years and that half of those should be affordable to lower- and middle-income households. On behavioral health, the budget would expand mobile behavioral-health units and extend detox services from five to 10 days to improve retention and outcomes.

Mello highlighted cost-saving steps already in place — a countywide hiring freeze with limited exemptions, restrictions on out-of-state travel and tighter vacancy-savings practices — and said those measures allowed him to avoid layoff-driven budget balancing. He also said the executive included district-level community needs funding (a $375,000 operations allocation per council district) and a $1 million capital appropriation for projects such as a Parkland community center, a childcare and workforce-training facility proposed with the Pierce County Central Labor Council, and two food-security capital investments.

Council members thanked the executive for producing a digestible packet and raised several follow-up issues: road safety and rural shoulder improvements, staffing levels in the sheriff’s office and correctional facilities, the duration and marketing plan for proposed pilot programs, and how the budget will be sustained into the next biennium. Mello and his staff said more detailed financial briefings will follow in committee over the next eight weeks and that department directors will be available for line-item review.

What happens next: the council will review department decision packages and budget details during committee hearings and retreat sessions scheduled in the coming weeks, with opportunities for members to propose adjustments before final adoption.