Print
E-Mail
tool name
closeCounty to consider Attorney General’s opinion on judge position
Nate Hulings
of the Gateway
The calendar may only say February, but that only leaves Pierce County Council member Terry Lee with about 10 months to do as much as he can before term limits will end his eight-year run as a voice on county matters.
Lee, R-Gig Harbor, said one of the most pressing matters for the council is to react to state Attorney General Rob McKenna’s opinion that questioned the legality of the council’s decision to eliminate funding for the Superior Court judge position left vacant by Judge Michael Hecht.
The council’s decision came last November, soon after Hecht resigned the position when he was found guilty of felony harassment and paying a man for sex.
Although no motion has been made, and the council has only discussed the idea casually, Lee said he anticipates the council will move soon to reinstate the position after it has taken McKenna’s opinion into consideration.
“It was the Attorney General’s opinion, but that is pretty weighty,” Lee said. “It could be used in court, if it had to be adjudicated.”
Despite conceding that the council will eventually reinstate the position, Lee said he’s unsure whether or not an additional judge’s seat will speed up the county’s judicial process.
“If you look back over the years, the trend line shows that, as Pierce County has hired or opened up another Superior Court position, there has been an immediate drop in jail population, and then it kicks back up,” he said.
Finding funds to pay for the position may be the toughest issue the council faces, Lee said.
Council members took part in retreats for several days last week, and both the 2010 and ’11 budgets were a main focus. Lee said a supplemental budget is likely for 2010 to offset declining permitting and flat sales tax figures.
Although it most likely won’t happen until after the first quarter figures come in, Lee said the next step would be to identify programs and departments that can afford to lose additional staff.
“We’ll decide if there is a trend developing; and if there is, and we won’t be able to maintain a balanced budget, we’ll move pretty quickly to propose a supplemental budget,” Lee said.
Other options include pushing back capital improvement projects.
Lee said talks between himself and the City of Gig Harbor have produced a joint consensus for finding federal dollars to help pay for phase two of the Cushman Trail.
Recent discussions with Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor also have indicated that the department intends on funding full-time, around-the-clock shifts at the Peninsula detachment, Lee said.
“We’re going to do our very best to make sure the Sheriff’s Department is kept whole,” Lee said.
There are several projects, including the Shoreline Master Plan Update, that Lee won’t see come to fruition before he leaves the council. The county Land Comprehensive Plan update also is scheduled for completion in 2011, but Lee believes the state may push it back to 2014.
Lee also has been keeping an eye on the growing number of people who have expressed interest in filling his seat once he leaves on Dec. 31. It’s important to have that person come from the west side of the Narrows bridges, he said.
Lee said Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula residents share a unique story, because there are issues that are only experienced here, including paying a majority of the Narrows bridge tolls and pending state Route 302 improvements.
“We are a unique community, and the County Council member that represents District 7 will have a good understanding of those important issues,” Lee said.
Lee used the example of Dan Flemming, who has been both mayor and council member in University Place, as a candidate who is well qualified for the position but will have to convince voters on the peninsulas that he’ll be a good representative.