Skip to Main Content

Latest Blog Posts

It’s Recovery Month!

The month of September is recognized as National Recovery Month. The Pierce County Human Services Director Heather Moss, provided valuable information in her blog about resources available in Pierce County to address behavioral health crisis and...
Survey says…..

Two key surveys have recently been fielded to a couple of very important groups: our employees and our residents. The results have been compiled, and I want to let you know what we heard. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) survey was sent to...
Recovery Month

Greetings from the bunker! So, I learned this week that September is National Recovery Month. I’m not going to lie…I had to look it up to learn “recovery from what?” You already know that our focus this month (and for many of us, EVERY month) is on...
Council Schedule Highlights Week of September 9th, 2019

– Derek Young, Pierce County Council Monday, September 9th, 2019 10:00 am Rules Committee Douglas Richardson, Chair Connie Ladenburg, Vice Chair Dave Morrell, Executive Pro Tempore Regularly scheduled meetings are broadcast live and replayed on...
Let the light shine!

I am a huge believer in the power of transparency. Being able to see something clearly, gives understanding and builds confidence. Those two principles are core to why transparency to our residents and taxpayers is so critical to the work we do. ...
The Strategic Alliance wants your input!

To help understand current domestic violence service delivery and access in Pierce County, the County and City have launched an exploratory process to improve data collection and information-sharing, more strategically align funding priorities and...
You’re going to need a bigger boat

As I’ve mentioned in this blog many times, I’m a boat guy. I love being on the water. Whether as a kid sailing with my family, during my time in the Navy, or in the San Juan Islands with my family this summer. While I believe any day on the water...
Council Schedule Highlights Week of August 26th, 2019

– Derek Young, Pierce County Council Tuesday, August 27th, 2019 9:30 am Economic and Infrastructure Development Committee Douglas G. Richardson, Chair Connie Ladenburg, Vice Chair Marty Campbell Dave Morell Pam Roach Regularly scheduled meetings are...
Baby, it’s cold inside!

I toured a fascinating new facility in Pierce County this week. You may have noticed a big, white cube on the outskirts of Fircrest. Thanks to the Economic Development Board (EDB), Chair Richardson, Councilmember Morell and I had the chance to peek...
New Programs to Fight Pierce County’s Opioid Epidemic

Delivering the right service, at the right time, in the right place. – Derek Young, Pierce County Council Consciously and unconsciously, we build barriers to recovery for people with substance use disorders. When surveyed, 70% of people suffering...
The Birth to 25 Advisory Board Needs You!

This past April, the Pierce County Council passed Ordinance 2019-6 which established a 19-member Birth to 25 Advisory Board (B-25 Board) for Infant, Child, Youth, and Young Adult Development. The B-25 Board shall propose to the County Executive and...
Chambers Creek Regional Park- Central Meadow Study

Pierce County Parks and Recreation is conducting a feasibility study for an event stage in the Central Meadow at Chambers Creek Regional Park. Mark your calendars for the final open house for the feasibility study: Tuesday, August 6. Based on...
Making Investments in Affordable Housing

Those of us in local government often look to the state for assistance in providing services to our residents. Counties have limited capacity to raise money for needs such as police, courts, jail, prosecutions, indigent defense, juvenile court,...
A rescue effort

You’ve probably heard the stories of victims who unwittingly become trapped in human trafficking schemes. Sometimes, a victim of trafficking is a vulnerable person trying to escape a difficult or dangerous life in their homeland. They fall prey to...
Clearing up confusion on the Affordable Housing Tax Credit

– Derek Young, Pierce County Council After the Legislature stepped up to meet the demands of the housing crisis, Pierce County and Tacoma, along with local governments from across the state, are implementing Substitute House Bill 1406. The new law...
Hello, Pierce County!

Greetings from the bunker! (That’s my affectionate name for my office here on the first of 1305 Tacoma Avenue South. Let’s just say I’m well insulated.) My name is Heather Moss and I thought I’d introduce myself to folks out there who used to hear...
Stepping up when broken down

I first learned of a problem with the Steilacoom/Anderson Island ferry service at 7:23 on Sunday night. Fresh off my own vacation, my mind immediately went to the folks spending a beautiful weekend on the island and wondering whether they could get...
A taxing job!

Did you know that in Pierce County we have 330,000 properties on our tax rolls that generate about $1.4 billion each year? And, were you aware that the Assessor-Treasurer’s (ATR) office collects taxes on behalf of 75 taxing districts in the County?...
New Funding for Housing in Pierce County

– Derek Young, Pierce County Council This Monday the Council’s Rules Committee will consider a bill I sponsored, Resolution 2019–95. It signals the County’s intent to take advantage of a sales tax revenue sharing program created by the State with ....
Greetings from Canada!

I frequently brag about the natural beauty in Pierce County! From our islands in the Sound to Mount Rainier, it can hardly get better. But, occasionally I like to get even more remote – and sometimes that leads me north to Canada. There are...