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Milton council assigns fireworks enforcement to police chief; ordinance passes 6-1

Milton City Council · March 17, 2026

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Summary

Council amended the city fireworks ordinance (21-35-26) to designate the police chief as the enforcement authority instead of the fire chief; Mayor and council approved the housekeeping change after debate, and the measure passed 6-1 with Council Member Whelan opposed.

The Milton City Council on March 16 voted 6 to 1 to amend the city's fireworks ordinance to designate the police chief as the enforcement authority.

Chief Hernandez explained the change as a housekeeping correction to ordinance 21-31-25 (adopted Dec. 1, 2025). "The ordinance is a housekeeping item that corrects the enforcement authority to the correct person, because currently we don't have the correct person designated as the enforcement authority," Hernandez said, noting that an advisory vote in November 2025 showed approximately 55.9% of combined Pierce and King County voters favored prohibiting sale, possession and discharge of consumer fireworks in Milton.

Council Member Poore moved to approve ordinance 21-35-26; after a second and discussion, the council debated whether the fire department should continue to participate in enforcement. Council Member Whelan said he was not satisfied with removing the fire department from an enforcement role and expressed concern about coverage and resources: "I think they need to both be a participant...I'm not happy with them walking away from a responsibility that...I won't support this." Chief Hernandez replied that the East Pierce fire chief declined to take on enforcement due to limited resources.

The council voted 6 to 1 in favor of the amendment; Mayor recorded the outcome and the ordinance will update the enforcement designation to the police chief with no other changes to the fireworks ordinance.

The council did not change the ban itself at this meeting; the amendment only clarifies which chief enforces the existing prohibition on consumer fireworks in city limits.