Why Do We Need the Justice Fund? - jhitchen
February 12, 2026
Good morning neighbors,
On Monday of this week, during a special Committee of the Whole (COW), the Executive and leaders of all our public safety services discussed why we are now looking at presenting the funding option that the WA State Legislature has given the Council (and to all local governments).
I do not take increasing taxes of any kind lightly, and when we look at the regressive tax system in this state, it is a challenge. However, we have a duty to this county, this community, and every resident and business to provide the services that fall under public safety.
As the sponsor, I will be supporting this and appreciate that every single leader under the Executive, the Sheriff, the Prosecuting Attorney, and leaders from juvenile, district, and superior courts all support this option. I am going to break down what this is, why we need it, what it will fund, and the next steps.
What is the JUSTICE Fund?
Under Washington State House Bill 2015, each local jurisdiction, through a vote of their legislative body (the Council in our case), can impose 1/10th of 1% sales tax to be collected and spent on public safety.
For perspective, 1/10th of 1% is 1 penny on every $10 you spend. So if you spend $500 at the mall, the county would receive 50 cents. This is being assessed across the entire county, including our cities and towns, and may ONLY be used to fund things under the criminal justice realm.
The fund may be used for services such as the prosecutor, courts, detention, defense, diversion, and, of course, the deputies who patrol our roads, investigate crimes, and support those we have detained in our jail.
76% of our general fund goes to public safety. This is something that I have talked about in prior newsletters and in Zooming Into Pierce. The county is required under state law to provide the law enforcement deputies for unincorporated Pierce County, prosecution and indigent defense of those charged for all felonies in Pierce County and misdemeanors in unincorporated land, the court process up to trial and sentencing in District Court, Superior Court, and Juvenile Court, along with all civil court matters such as protection orders, civil commitment, and divorce proceedings, detention services at the Pierce County Jail and Remann Hall, domestic violence services, the clerk’s office, prosecutors, public defense. Along with South Sound 911, the Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Department of Emergency Management, these make up our public safety system.
Why Do We Need It?
1,566 employees do this work every day. They respond to 911 calls, support young people and adults in safe and secure facilities, provide constitutionally required defense or prosecution, and provide the courtrooms and staff to hear the case. There is also all the support staff that provides for the technology needs, the facilities, the vehicles, equipment, and more. Public safety is a huge part of our work as a county, and as our population grows and wages increase, the cost of this work increases.
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This graph is included int the 2026-2027 Biennial Budget
This graph shows our most recent budget, with 73% going to the Sheriff’s Office and the Courts & Legal (prosecutors and public defenders). All the other colors in this pie chart represent the finance, IT, communications, and economic development departments, as well as the separately elected offices of the Auditor, Assessor-Treasurer, Council, and Executive. This is where your property tax dollars go.
Understanding what happens when we start to run into funding gaps is the future we are trying to avoid. We passed a budget that increased investments in many of our public safety areas, but the needs continue to grow faster than our property taxes. As a reminder about those property taxes, a home in unincorporated Pierce County worth $400,000 will pay the county a total of $288.00 for services. One law enforcement deputy at the entry level earns $155,000 in salary and benefits.
That means we need 538 homes worth $400,000 to pay taxes to cover 1 deputy. Because the criminal justice side is our largest employer and most expensive, if we start cutting, they will feel it the most. Below is the property tax breakdown for a home in Parkland (unincorporated Pierce County).
If we just said, “Cut the entire county by 10%,” for patrol deputies, that would be between 20 and 40 officers, and in corrections, between 15 and 30 officers. On the legal side, that could be over 30 prosecutors and public defenders. The courts are somewhat insulated, as the number of judicial officers is mandated by state law, but the supportive staff would be reduced, slowing things down, reducing services, and, in the end, causing harm.
What Will It Fund?
In the first few years, the funding will be used to invest in long-needed improvements. Because we voted on our biennial budget in 2025 for 2026-2027, this new funding will be used to address many of our urgent needs to bring systems, technology, and incentives back into line with our current budget.
We will continue offering hiring incentives to our sheriff’s deputies to hire law enforcement and corrections officers and to help fill our many vacancies. This program began using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which expires in June 2026. This program has been very effective in helping us compete for a limited pool of skilled and new law enforcement employees. In addition, in 2025, the Council appropriated funding for retention bonuses to our law enforcement officers, but NOT our corrections officers. We are remedying this because we couldn’t afford to support both groups without a new funding source.
We are using the initial 1-time funding to update our technology. While it may seem unnecessary, when our courts cannot communicate with deputies to share files or our legal teams have to spend hours moving files, it is a waste of time. Technology has changed, and we have systems that are outdated and obsolete. We are fixing this.
Each part of our criminal legal system requires investment and is receiving many of them. As we move into the next biennium, this fund will provide a stable source of revenue to invest in the people who do this work and the programs that support those who are justice-involved, but no more than 20% of the revenues for new things. This ensures we can maintain staffing levels at the state-required levels and keep up with our growing population.
Next Steps
This legislation was before us in a Committee of the Whole on Monday this week, and you can see the materials and presentations, and watch the recording here. There was a great deal of information shared, and several Councilmembers wanted to give it more time. It was continued to another Committee of the Whole, to be held on Wednesday, February 18th, at 9:30 a.m. Public comment will be heard again, along with a chance for my colleagues and me to ask questions.
After that meeting, it is scheduled to be heard before the full Council on March 3rd at our regular 3:00 p.m. meeting. Under our Charter, approval of the JUST Fund requires a supermajority, meaning 5 of the 7 Councilmembers must vote in the affirmative. I remain hopeful that my colleagues will see the need to pass this now.
Community Connections
Rummage Sale to Support the “Save Parkland School” Fund: The weekend of February 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Parkland School located 214 121st. St. in Parkland. They have loads of unique and beautiful finds. Do some thrifty shopping for a great cause.
Explore & Restore: On Saturday, February 21, 2026, join us for a guided forest walk and a practical training on tree planting and maintenance. You will learn about the park's local ecosystem and how to support healthy forest growth. If the weather permits, you will also have the opportunity to plant trees and shrubs in the park. No experience needed.
Participants will get a free seedling to bring home! This series is in partnership with Pierce County Parks and the Pitch In For Parks program. Participants will get a free seedling to bring home! This series is in partnership with Pierce County Parks and the Pitch In For Parks program.
Conversation with Charter Review Commissioners: Saturday, February 21, from 1 to 2 p.m. meet with the District 6 Charter Review Commissioners at the Steilacoom Library. A time to share your ideas, voice opinions on changes or advocate for things you like.
Community Conversation on Home Safety and Security in Steilacoom: Tuesday, February 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Steilacoom Town Hall. Join the conversation about how best to report and ways to protect your home.
Community Resource Fair: Thursday, February 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Parkland/Spanaway Library. There is a free event for residents seeking support around housing, education, employment, veterans’ services, and many other areas.
Blue Zones Events: Multiple events, including learning opportunities, getting active, and volunteer events.
Pierce County Library Events & Activities: This link takes you to a list of events, classes, and opportunities happening at the District 6 and virtual libraries in the next few weeks.
In closing, I will reiterate that I do not take raising taxes lightly. Our state has a regressive tax system, and we have a duty to provide for our almost one million residents who call Pierce County home, with a public safety system that works for all. For most residents, the annual average amount collected will be approximately $30 per resident and will provide much-needed funding to continue providing a safe and just Pierce County.
In partnership,
Jani