The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is preparing to lay off 22 people in December.
The move comes in response to expected federal and state funding cuts, said Kenny Via, a spokesperson for the public health agency.
The department’s projected 2026-2027 budget originally estimated that the equivalent of 40 full-time positions would need to be cut. However, in a written statement, Via said the department had worked to bring that number down “by securing new funding and holding off on filling open positions. We also put in place a voluntary retirement incentive.”…