Pierce County Council passed their summer supplemental budget on Tuesday, bringing to close a series of contentious debates and emergency actions aimed at addressing contracting flaws within the Human Services Department. According to a report by the County Council, this iteration of the budget includes critical amendments to training and notification requirements regarding the county's contracting laws and allots $150,000 towards implementing the findings from an upcoming review of the department's procurement processes.
In a move to swiftly counteract recent contracting missteps, the Council has mandated the Finance Department to train Human Services staff in relevant contracting laws and policies within 60 days of the ordinance. These actions follow a declared State of Emergency by County Executive Bruce Dammeier on Sept. 3, aimed to prevent the collapse of the county's Coordinated Entry (CE) system, a crucial component of the homeless crisis response. "Contracting and procurement of services in the Human Services Department has been an ongoing area of concern. This is just the latest and most visible example," Council Vice Chair Marty Campbell stated.
The summer supplemental budget also locked in specific directives around contracting, requiring the Human Services Department to notify the Council of any significant contract alterations, specifically those exceeding $250,000. These added layers of oversight are responses to the breakdown in the service contracts for the CE system, which expired without the possibility of extension due to stringent County Code and procurement rules.
Another focal point of the supplemental budget is the inclusion of $2.5 million for non-congregate temporary micro shelter communities. Council Chair Ryan Mello emphasized the necessity of such investments: "We need temporary shelter, affordable housing, and permanent supportive housing. It is not an either/or decision we can afford to make, because history shows that people will die if we wait the two or more years for affordable and permanent supportive housing options to come online," Mello explained, as reported by the County Council. These funds are earmarked for transitional housing interventions, with restrictions on their use in response to executive concerns.
Despite the budget's passage, it saw opposition from three of seven council members, who argued for a focus on more long-term housing solutions, disputing the allocation of temporary budget resources. As it stands, Executive Dammeier holds veto power over the budget, although such action would require a two-thirds Council majority to overturn. With the Council divided and the Homeless Crisis Response System in the balance, the implications of this supplemental budget loom large over the community's future.
