Debate rages over proposal to dissolve Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department partnership
(Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Facebook)
With a proposal to dissolve the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s city-county partnership making progress toward passing, a hotly-contested debate has emerged among local leaders.
The legislation would effectively terminate the 38-year-old interlocal agreement Tacoma has with the county health department, a move that would cut off $1.1 million in funding provided by the city, while leading to a sizable reworking of how the department operates.
If passed, it would make it so the department’s health director would no longer report to its eight-member board of elected officials, and instead report directly to the county executive and council.