Budget Updates and Gratitude - jhitchen
May 7, 2026
Good morning neighbors,
Today is the day! I hope to see you in person at the District 6 “In District” Council meeting that will be held tonight, May 7th, at 5:30 p.m. at James Sales Elementary School. You can, of course, tune in through our website or watch on PCTV, but it is always great to see people in person.
In this newsletter, I wanted to focus on a couple of items: Budget updates and things that happened recently that I am grateful for.
Budget Updates
While not a super fun or flashy part of my job, it is an incredibly important one. When we adopted the 2026-27 Biennial budget in November of 2025, we made sure that we would get regular updates on where we are as a county and a few specific report-outs due to changes we made.
On Wednesday, May 6th, we held our first Committee of the Whole for this year related to financial and budget updates. You can watch the meeting or review the packet here: May 6, 2026 Committee Meeting
I find these updates really important to understanding where we are as a county. Unlike a household budget, we do not get funding every month at the same level. It is one of the reasons when people review our budget it looks almost scary with large dips and peaks. However, because property taxes come into the county twice per year, there are significant variations.
In addition, how people shop, build, and buy homes and cars can be very dependent on the weather, the economy, and the job market. All of which can take significant swings over a year. So, we meet quarterly to simply review where we are and where we are going.
You may remember that we passed Ordinance No. O2026-501, or the JUST Fund, which is 1/10th of 1% sales tax. We were able to see for the first time the impact that it will have on our long-term finances. It helps, and gives us some breathing room, but as the population grows and the cost for people providing services grows, while property taxes remain flat, we will eventually be going in the wrong direction.
What I do know is that our adopted budget provided for the employees needed to meet the demands of our growing county, provided incentives to try to fill the vacancies in our Sheriff’s Law Enforcement and Corrections side of the house, complied with unfunded mandates from the state of Washington, and set aside funds in case there were sweeping changes from the Federal Government.
The overview painted a challenging future with some tough decisions, but this intentional review ensures that we, as a Council, are aware of what we are facing and provides transparency to the almost one million residents who call Pierce County home.
Gratitude
Last week and this weekend, I attended some really special events. I want to start with MultiCare and the new Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in downtown Tacoma. I was blown away by the amazing work they do and the care that the team puts into even the smallest of details.
A great example of this was that they have a room on the floor where they do much of the imaging (MRI, CAT Scans, X-Rays), and outside the actual rooms, they created a “Child Life Simulation” where children could place a toy on the scanning table and watch as it goes through a simulated screening. Then a cartoon plays the sounds they would hear and talks them through what it would feel like, look like, and sound like, all to reduce anxiety.
I also had the chance to celebrate with some of our great partners across Pierce County. The county can’t do everything, nor should they. However, we often refer community members to partners across the region to get specialized support and guidance.
I had the opportunity to celebrate with Tacoma Community House, Emergency Food Network, the YWCA, Communities in Schools of Lakewood, and Associated Ministries. There were also many others that I just couldn’t make it to, but we are blessed in Pierce County to have a variety of programs and partnerships to help fill the gaps.
Thank you to each and every person who volunteers or supports these many programs and dozens of others that help our neighbors in need, crisis, or just need a little support.
Community Connections
District 6 Library Events in January:Pierce County Library events and classes at the Anderson Island, DuPont, Lakewood, Parkland/Spanaway, Steilacoom, Tillicum, and Virtual libraries.
La’U Samoa-Academic and Cultural Competition: Saturday, May 9 starting 12 p.m. at PLU 12180 Park Ave. S in Parkland. There is a cost for this event, you can learn more at the link provided.
Youth Fishing Event: Saturday, May 16th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. children ages 5 to 14 can learn to fish at American Lake Park. To make sure they have enough supplies, please register ahead for one of the 1-hour slots during this fun event.
Property Tax Exemption Seminar: Thursday, May 21st from 1 to 3 p.m. at Lakewood City Hall. Please join staff from the county’s Assessor Treasurer’s Office to learn more about this process and find out if you or a loved one qualifies.
Community Forum & Resource Fair: Friday, May 22nd from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 306 134th Street S. in Parkland (Dryer Masonic Building) you can join the Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy and partners across the region to learn about resources in our community. They have additional events on different dates.
Anderson Island Historical Society Plant Sale: Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is a plant sale that is open to the public. There is a member-only sale from 9 to 10 a.m. Look for new plants at the Farm Greenhouse.
Memorial Day Joint Service: Monday, May 25th, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Please join us at MountainView Funeral Home and Memorial Park at 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. in Lakewood for a powerful and moving ceremony to remember those that paid the ultimate price for our freedom. This is free and open to the public, rain or shine.
Lakewood 30th Anniversary Celebration and Street Fair: Friday, May 29th from 4 to 7 p.m. Join community members, vendors, food trucks, and so much more as we celebrate Lakewood turning 30th. Located at Colonial Plaza on Motor Avenue, hope to see you there.
Thank you in advance to everyone who can make it tonight. Also, a quick reminder that May is Hunger Awareness Month, and this coming Saturday is the Stamp Out Hunger mail carriers' food drive. It is the simplest and most direct way to get food to the many food banks and pantries across the county.
You should have gotten a bag in your mail by now, but if you didn’t, you can bag up your food (no glass, please) and put it out by, in, or on your mailbox on Saturday, May 9th. Volunteers from the Emergency Food Network and maybe even your District 6 representative, along with other elected officials from across the county, will help collect the food.
Jani