Month: April 2022

In 1980, 62% of Pierce County voters chose to eliminate our county commission and replace it with a seven-member county council and elected county executive. When the council and executive disagree, things can get a little messy. Two cases in point: this week’s disagreement over who gets to choose which flags are flown at County buildings, and my veto today of an ordinance permitting homeless parking at civic sites. First some background and context. I represent everyone in Pierce County. A council district might not be very ideologically diverse, but across the county we have a whole spectrum of ideas, opinions, values, and attitudes. It’s my job to ensure that everyone is included, and no one is excluded. That’s not always possible, of course, but I do my best to…

Earlier this week I presented our annual State of the County address to a small group of colleagues, community partners and the community (virtually). If you didn’t have a chance to watch the address live, I invite you to view the replay here: [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwnsKItTki0[/embedyt] From my arrival as County Executive, I have talked about the importance and power of partnerships.  In fact, many of you may recall it is one of our five values.  I knew our ability to address the critical challenges facing our community would require partnerships at many levels. Little did I realize that our early work in partnering with our community would be so essential to combating the effects of the pandemic on the people of Pierce County.  The work that our County team did…

Springtime in my yard is always exciting for me.  I love the energy and freshness as my yard comes back alive from its long winter break.   The birds are chirping when I take Kanga out for a walk in the morning and we seem to have more bunnies than ever! Spring also means work – but satisfying work.  A fresh-cut lawn always looks great.  And of course, there are always new plants or flowers to be planted.  I enjoy bringing a new pop of color to the yard or filling in a gap with a new shrub. Did you know some of our colleagues at the County take “recycling” to a whole new level – and can help bring new growth to your yard or planter box?  Learn more about the…

The final play of the game, the last episode of a television series or the final book in a trilogy.  Those are milestones that both mark an end and signal the time to move on to what’s next. This week I de-briefed the results of the State Auditor Office’s extensive 2020 audit with our Finance Team.  This most recent audit included an in-depth review of how Pierce County managed, spent, and accounted for the $158 million in CARES federal funding received to help our community with the impacts of the COVID pandemic. As I have said before, I’m beyond proud of the way we invested those funds into our community during this devastating time. Our teams were quick, innovative and flexible.  They provided PPE, tested and vaccinated our residents, helped…

Everyone knows that information security is up to all of us. But the Executive is out of the office and left his laptop vulnerable to being hacked. His mistake means fun for you!  Enjoy this montage of some of his less-than-stellar moments. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc3BgRZpRU8[/embedyt] Happy April Fools’ Day!