Pierce County Council approves $1.5M retention payments for sheriff deputies, amends eligibility to 90 days

The Pierce County Council on Dec. 2 approved a biennial budget amendment that includes a $1.5 million allocation for one‑time retention payments to eligible Pierce County Sheriff's Office employees and a set of district food‑bank allocations responding to local need.

Council Amendment No. 1 — moved by Council member Morrell and explained by county finance staff — adds $1,500,000 to miscellaneous current expenses in the general fund and directs the county to use the funds for one‑time end‑of‑year retention payments to eligible full‑time badged or commissioned law‑enforcement employees of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. Under the amended provisos, an eligible employee must be a full‑time badged commissioned employee as of passage and have been employed by Pierce County for at least 90 days. Payments were set at $5,000 per eligible employee; if the $1.5M allocation is…