Pierce County Council took the opportunity of a mid-budget adjustment to put more funding into COVID-19 expenses and body and dash cams for sheriff's deputies. | Adobe Stock
Pierce County Council took the opportunity of a mid-budget adjustment to put more funding into COVID-19 expenses and body and dash cams for sheriff's deputies. | Adobe Stock
Pierce County Council adjusted its two-year budget to add more than $7.3 million in public safety, health and human services.
The county made the investments at the mid-way point in its biennial budget during its Dec. 8 meeting, with $4 million added for COVID-19-related costs for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Pierce County said in a news release. The funding depends on the federal government failing to provide additional assistance in pandemic relief.
The Sheriff’s Department can spend $1.75 million on dash and body cameras to outfit its deputies.
Six new staff members will be hired using another $230,000 set aside for July to help with the program's public records aspect, the news release said.
The judiciary in Pierce County should grow with funding added for another Superior Court judge, the release said.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will get $1.36 million in funding to modernize its offices by purchasing a new X-ray machine and a CT scanner, the release said.
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