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Pierce County Council adopts 2026–27 biennial budget after heated debate over sheriff staffing
Summary
The Pierce County Council voted 4–3 on Nov. 25 to adopt the amended biennial budget for fiscal years 2026–27, a package that increases public‑safety spending but drew sustained public criticism over deputy staffing levels and bargaining uncertainties.
The Pierce County Council voted 4–3 on Nov. 25 to adopt O2025‑562S3, the county's biennial budget for fiscal years 2026–27, after hours of debate and a public hearing dominated by calls for more funding to retain and recruit sheriff’s deputies.
Council staff summarized the spending plan before the vote: proposed general‑fund expenditures total $967,264,000, with the largest amounts directed to public safety (sheriff law enforcement roughly $242 million; sheriff corrections about $164 million), the prosecuting attorney (~$94 million) and juvenile court (about $55 million). Capital projects funded through the plan amount to roughly $353 million over the two‑year period; enterprise operations such as the sewer utility are budgeted separately and total…
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