Pierce County shoppers are in for a small bump at the register after the County Council voted 5–2 on Tuesday to approve a one-tenth of 1% sales tax dedicated to public safety, a new stream projected to raise about $30 million a year. Roughly 80% of that money is slated to keep the county court system and the Sheriff’s Office running, while about 20% is reserved for targeted investments such as planning for a new jail and a juvenile detention center. The ordinance is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026, and County Executive Ryan Mello is expected to sign off on it.
The measure passed on a 5–2 vote, with Councilmembers Dave Morell, Rosie Ayala, Robyn Denson, Jani Hitchen and Bryan Yambe in favor and Paul Herrera and Amy Cruver opposed, according to The News Tribune. Morell told the outlet the county’s corrections and sheriff staff are "overworked, underpaid and understaffed," and said he plans to bring forward a resolution to develop a justice-center master plan.
The tax adds 0.1 percentage points, or 10 cents per $100 spent, and the county says groceries, medicine and certain medical and hygiene supplies would be exempt. The levy is allowed under a 2025 state law that lets local jurisdictions adopt a one-tenth of 1% criminal-justice sales tax as long as the money is used for criminal-justice purposes, per the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Pierce County's legislative materials spell out the exemptions, reporting rules and creation of a new Justice and Unified Safety Tax Fund to track every dollar coming in and going out.
How the money will be spent
Under the ordinance, the county would set up a $35.7 million Justice and Unified Safety Tax Fund for the 2026–27 budget, steering about 80% of the revenue toward sustaining court operations and the Sheriff’s Office and holding back roughly 20% for one-time investments and facility planning. Line items reported by local coverage include converting space at the Yakima Avenue jail into higher-security housing, upgrading digital evidence and case-management systems, expanding body-worn cameras and offering hiring incentives for corrections staff, along with one-time retention payments and dollars for reentry programs. Those specifics and the projected amounts were detailed by The News Tribune.
Oversight, timeline and next steps
The ordinance creates a performance advisory board to develop and monitor performance metrics, and the county’s finance office says audits and internal controls will be used to keep tabs on spending, according to Pierce County. If signed by the executive, the tax is set to kick in on July 1, 2026, and council documents indicate the county could begin spending the new revenue as early as Sept. 1 under the proposed rollout. The full ordinance, staff reports and meeting recordings are posted on the county website for residents who want to dig into the fine print.
The new county tax will sit on top of similar city-level charges in some places. Tacoma has already approved its own 0.1% criminal-justice sales tax that takes effect April 1, 2026, meaning Tacoma shoppers could see both taxes on their receipts this year, per the City of Tacoma. Supporters of the county measure argue the added revenue will stabilize essential services and help shore up understaffed corrections and court operations, while opponents warned during a lengthy public-comment period that the sales tax is regressive and pressed for other options, local reporting shows, including coverage by Gig Harbor Now.
