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Tenino council rejects police‑protection resolution after heated debate; public urges town hall with sheriff
Summary
A proposed resolution to bar reductions to the Tenino Police Department failed 3–2 after council debate over whether protections belong in ordinance form and concern about fiscal timing. Residents urged retaining local police and asked for a town hall with sheriff representatives.
The Tenino City Council on March 10 declined to adopt a resolution that would have declared public safety the council’s top priority and prohibited reductions to the police department below 2026 funding levels.
Council debate: Councilmember Linda read a lengthy resolution that would have required supermajority approval before contracting out primary law‑enforcement services and directed staff to prepare ordinances and voter protections. Several council members argued it was premature to lock protections into policy while the city faces a near‑term fiscal crisis and while the city seeks concrete service‑level and cost information from the county sheriff.
The vote: After discussion the motion failed by a three‑to‑two margin.
Public reaction: Multiple Tenino residents urged the council to retain a local police department. Dina Sanchez, a parent of a child in the city schools, spoke at the meeting: “Why would we pay more to get less?” She described how local officers and school resource officers are embedded in daily school and neighborhood life and said response times and local knowledge matter.
Resident inputs: Business owner Dave Champagne urged independent validation of budget numbers and proposed forming a task force of local financial volunteers to review the mayor’s analysis and help the council vet options.
Next steps: Separately, the council approved a motion authorizing the mayor to hold preliminary fact‑finding discussions with the Thirstston County Sheriff's Office to obtain detailed cost and coverage proposals. Council members asked that the mayor request precise information on minimum patrol coverage, whether the sheriff would assign deputies specifically to Tenino or use a substation, expected response times, and whether community‑based policing would be part of any contract.
The council did not adopt a protective ordinance at the March 10 meeting and left open the possibility of additional steps once the sheriff’s proposals and formal fiscal analyses are complete.
