Pierce County Executives face off for the first time in 8 years

Outgoing executive Bruce Dammeier is term-limited, and the county looks and costs much differently than it did when he first took office. In 2017, the median home price was $313,000, growing 83% to $575,000 today.

Candidates to replace Dammeier - Democrat Ryan Mello and Republican Kelly Chambers - have differing plans to increase the supply of housing to address the cost of housing.

Chambers looks to permitting reform, saying, “I think our builders want more predictable timelines because we already know we need to build and bring that housing online.”

Mello led an effort to pass the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act, creating a sales tax dedicated to funding affordable housing projects. It has tripled the county’s spending to $18 million and has already housed people. However, the 300 units created each year are a fraction of what the county needs, according to a report from the Tacoma News Tribune.

“We need to help people in their homes and not have them being displaced for lack of ability to pay their rent because they don’t have enough income or maybe their property taxes are too high, like many seniors on fixed incomes,” Mello said.

Mello’s time on the Pierce County Council has been occasionally highlighted by disagreements with Dammeier over key issues, like what kind of shelters to create and fund and where to locate them.

Mello has supported a strategy of varying kinds of shelter models, especially tiny home villages and safe park sites, as opposed to more congregate shelters. He also believes in spreading resources out across the county.

“Having everyone come to Tacoma for services is not only unfair to Tacoma, but it’s bad for the folks experiencing homelessness,” said Mello. “We know that folks do better when they can stay closer to their social network.”

Both Mello and Chambers point to the Veterans Village model as an effective method.

Earlier this fall, the Tacoma City Council sent a letter to Dammeier relenting over the disproportionate share of resources the city spends on homelessness, as opposed to other areas of the county.

“It has been increasingly clear that our efforts alone are insufficient to address the broader regional crisis,” the letter read.

While she takes issue with the Tacoma Stability Site, Chambers believes that because of the access to medical treatment and services already in the City, the model should continue.

“I don’t think the rest of the county wants to see those temporary tent encampments spread throughout the county in various communities because, first of all, the resources don’t exist out in those more rural areas to address the needs of the homeless population.” Chambers said.

Both Mello and Chambers support community courts (also referred to as drug courts or diversion programs) that help people drop criminal or misdemeanor charges for completing training or treatment. Chambers hopes those services are better connected throughout the state. She also supports 72-hour drop-off centers being reestablished in the County.

“Those have shut down because they didn’t have a sustainable funding model,” Chambers said.

Mello’s time on the County Council has overseen the doubling of detox beds, though he admits those beds filled quickly once expanded.

“These are real strategies and they take public resources in order to invest in them,”

Both candidates commit to funding the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office to be able to recruit and retain new deputies.

Find the raw, uncut interviews for both candidates below.