Each deputy who has worked for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for at least 90 days will be eligible to receive a $5,000 one-time payment, after the county council approved an amendment to its biennial budget Dec. 2.
The decision follows a heated meeting Nov. 25, when many residents urged the council to postpone the adoption of the budget until they had increased funding for the sheriff’s office. They accused the council of not doing enough to address deputy shortages. Over 200 people submitted similar comments in writing in advance of the meeting Nov. 25.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office has battled vacancies for years, but the staffing issue has drawn heightened attention in recent months as the union representing the department’s rank-and-file deputies works out a new bargaining agreement with the county. Negotiations have been ongoing for over a year and are headed toward arbitration, The News Tribune reported…