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It doesn't seem possible that nearly eight years have gone by since I was first elected County Executive. Much has happened during that time. It makes one wonder how Pierce County has changed since 2001.
Here's what I see when I look at our county today. |
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To begin with, 70,000 new residents made their home in Pierce County. Some were born here, but a great many came from outside the county. Why did they choose to make this place their home?
If I had to boil it down to one word, it would be: jobs.
From 2001-2007, the number of jobs in Pierce County increased from 243,900 to 277,500, for a gain of nearly 14 percent. Private employment grew the fastest with an increase of just under 16 percent. The largest increase came in the Construction and Professional & Business Services industries, which together, added over 14,000 jobs. |
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| To help attract more businesses and keep those we already have, I gave the Economic Development Division a higher profile and made it part of the County Executive's Office. By providing strategic direction, more resources, and greater visibility, the Division became more effective. Since then, county staff has done a bang up job helping local businesses with regulatory issues. A great example is Toray Composites in Frederickson. Boeing is among its customers. Toray makes components for the new 787 Dreamliner and other jetliners. The Economic Development Division helped Toray through a $30 million expansion that resulted in hundreds of new jobs. |
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To do that, we had to find ways to accept growth and yet protect our precious natural areas. Together we made it happen. The results are quite remarkable and unique in Washington State.
Today, we have enhanced salmon runs countywide. Habitat has been improved through a variety of efforts ranging from levee setbacks to creek and stream restorations. As a result of our effort, the Pierce County region has received more than $5 million in federal and state grants. |
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| In addition, wetlands have been protected from pollution by cleaning up illegal dumpsites through award-winning programs such as Pierce County Responds. The state's first true Low Impact Development that emphasizes pervious surfaces instead of concrete is well underway. |
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And the county council passed an ordinance bonding our Conservation Futures. The result is enough money to save 2,800 acres of natural areas in one year, more than what has been conserved over the past 15 years combined.
We even found common ground with developers and the business community, along with homeowners and environmental groups, to create the Directions package, the most comprehensive program in the state to protect wetlands and streams. |
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| In 2001, we created the Regional Access Mobility Project and I served as co-chair. RAMP is Pierce County's first transportation public-private coalition. RAMP and other organizations have been instrumental in helping the Cross-Base Highway go from an afterthought to a Highway of Statewide Significance (SR-704). It's currently in the final design and engineering phase. |
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RAMP has also been instrumental in supporting freight mobility projects such as the completion of the Lincoln Avenue overpass and the D Street overpass that will go into service soon. Both overpasses separate trains and cars so freight can get where it's going faster.
On top of all that, I worked to make sure the second Narrows Bridge was completed with public, not private, financing. As a result, the tolls are being used to pay off the bridge, not line the pockets of a big corporation. Highway 16 approaching the Narrows Bridge has also been expanded and the first I-5 HOV lanes in Pierce County are now in operation. Perhaps most remarkable is that after a decade of more gas taxes flowing out of Pierce County than coming in, the trend has been reversed. Now, more gas taxes are being spent than paid in Pierce County. |
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Pierce County is working with the Cascade Land Conservancy, King County, tribal councils, and private land owners to protect the White River, Nisqually River and Puyallup River watersheds. We supported the expansion of Mt. Rainier National Park; the first expansion in more than 50 years. We protected the Fairfax forest. We created Park Districts for the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsulas. And, we're spending $35 million on parks and recreation right here. That's more than we've spent over the past 25 years combined.
The Foothills Trail is another example of what can happen when people work together. Completed paved sections include 15 miles from Meeker to the South Prairie Creek in South Prairie and a 1.8 mile section in Buckley. |
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Our future plan is to continue the trail to Sumner where we will connect with the Interurban Trail that now extends through Kent and Auburn. The trail in Buckley will continue east to Enumclaw and King County.
The Foothills Trail has been constructed in cooperation with local jurisdictions and community interest groups. When complete, the trail will be more than 28 miles in length. |
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| The Chambers Bay golf course was opened in 2007 as part of the Chambers Creek Properties Master Site Plan. Designed and built with a major championship in mind, the USGA chose Chambers Bay to host both the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open championships. |
The U.S. Open is the biggest golf event held annually in the United States. As many as 65,000 visitors will come here to enjoy the best golf in the world along with spectacular views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
The U.S. Open is predicted to add more than $100 million to the local economy. |
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Since 2001, Pierce County has partnered with Tacoma, Lakewood and the Puyallup Tribe to create the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center in Tacoma to address domestic violence issues. We created the Meth task force to fight the scourge of methamphetamine through enforcement, enhanced drug treatment and drug courts. And we expanded the Sheriff's Department to bring 24-7 protection to every area of the county.
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We partnered with the City of Tacoma and other municipalities to build the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center. We partnered in the UW Tacoma Technology Center. We partnered in transportation funding for the Port's freight mobility projects. And we worked with the Puyallup Tribe, City of Tacoma and the Port to make the massive new Pierce County terminal a reality, adding thousands of jobs.
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All this hard work and cooperation has moved Pierce County to the forefront in this region. We've held leadership positions on the Puget Sound Regional Council, Sound Transit Board, Central Puget Sound Economic Development District, Prosperity Partnership and Regional Transportation Improvement District. We've taken on such diverse projects as tax reform, educational improvement and funding, environmental restoration, transportation infrastructure, culture and arts, and freight mobility.
Pierce County is not only invited to the table on any important issue in this state, oftentimes, we're seated at the table's head.
When you put it all together, you can see why 70,000 new residents would want to call Pierce County home. It's a very livable community. According to a national organization, Pierce County is one of the most livable places in the country. That is indeed a different, and better, county than what was here seven years ago.
~ John W. Ladenburg |
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Chair, Law Enforcement Support Agency (LESA) Board
Chair, Pierce Transit
Co-Chair, Lake Tapps Task Force
Co-Chair, Prosperity Partnership
Co-Chair, Regional Access & Mobility Project (RAMP)
Co-Chair, Tacoma-Pierce County Employment & Training Consortium
Past President, Puget Sound Economic Development District
Past President, Puget Sound Regional Council
Past Chair, Sound Transit
Member, County Executives of America
Member, Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County
Member, Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association
Member, Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health
Member, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce Board
Member, Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle
Member, Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC)
Member, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
Member, World Trade Center Tacoma
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Cascade Land Conservancy
2008 Cascade Agenda Leadership Award for Purchase of Development Rights/Transfer of Development Rights Legislation
Tahoma Audubon Society
2007 Community Service Award
Puget Sound Regional Council
2007 Appreciation of Superlative Regional Leadership
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organization (AMPO)
Regional Leadership Award
Washington Refuse & Recycling Association
2006 Sustainability Award
National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR)
Patriotic Employer Recognition
National Association of Counties (NACO) County Courthouse Award
Innovation in Government Award for Pierce County Responds Program
Central Puget Sound Economic Development District
Leadership Award and Recognition of Establishment of the Prosperity Partnership Coalition
State of Washington Governor's Award
2006 Economic Development Advocate Award
Municipal League of King County
2006 Public Official of the Year
Workforce Development Council
2005 Youth Workforce Development Leadership Award
Kentucky Colonel Commission presented by the Governor of Kentucky
for Leadership in Economic Development Planning
Cascade Land Conservancy
Leadership on the Cascade Foothills Initiative
Puyallup Indian Settlement
1990 Recognition for Contribution and Leadership
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