Gig Harbor is testing the waters on breaking off from Pierce County, with one resident leading a formal effort to see whether a brand-new “Peninsula County” could actually work. The concept would pull Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsula and nearby islands into a separate jurisdiction that backers say is geographically distinct and deserving of more locally focused government. If it ever came to life, the proposal would redraw county lines and create Washington’s 40th county, complete with its own courts, sheriff and public-works duties. Organizers emphasize the project is still in the research phase, and no petition drive is underway.
Damon Townsend told The News Tribune he has been digging into the mechanics of county formation since 2023 and plans to register the exploratory committee as a nonprofit with the Washington Secretary of State. He added that he would file with the Public Disclosure Commission if the effort shifts into overt political advocacy. Townsend estimated there are roughly 88,000 registered voters within the proposed boundaries and said interest so far has been strong. Pierce County officials, The News Tribune reported, have acknowledged the committee’s formation and reminded residents that only the Legislature can ultimately approve county boundary changes.
Committee Maps Out a Step-By-Step Breakaway Plan
On its site, the Peninsula County Exploratory Committee lays out a four-step roadmap: start with feasibility research, gather a petition signed by at least half of the registered voters inside the proposed new county, present a validated petition to the Legislature, and then secure enabling legislation signed by the governor. The committee notes it formally organized in late February and is steadily posting research and whitepapers, including voter-count work and early fiscal analyses, to build a public record of its process, according to the Peninsula County Exploratory Committee.
What the State Constitution Demands
Article XI of the Washington State Constitution lays out strict baseline rules for any new county. It cannot be formed with fewer than 2,000 residents, and any county losing land to a new jurisdiction cannot be cut down below 4,000 residents. The constitution also requires that a majority of voters living in the territory sign on to a petition seeking removal, and that counties gaining or losing territory shoulder a just share of existing debts and liabilities, as set out in the Washington State Constitution.
How Many Signatures Would It Take
Based on his rough count of about 88,000 registered voters inside the proposed county lines, Townsend told The News Tribune the constitutional requirement for signatures from at least 50 percent of those voters would translate to roughly 44,000 valid names. That alone would be a major organizing lift. On top of that, the group would still need to have those signatures validated and then persuade lawmakers to introduce and pass enabling legislation, steps the committee says would demand substantial time, money and volunteer power.
Big Practical Hurdles: Money, Courts and Public Safety
The committee’s online research library highlights some heavy-duty questions that would have to be settled before a new county could ever get off the ground. Among them: how to divide Pierce County’s existing debts and liabilities, and whether a Peninsula County could afford to operate its own courts, jails, sheriff’s office and other core services. Early comparisons with similar-sized counties and a draft fiscal analysis are already posted in the site’s document archive, and the committee says those materials are meant to give lawmakers and voters a common factual baseline as they evaluate the idea.
For now, organizers are focusing on community information sessions and more data work while they verify voter totals and model potential budgets. If their research suggests the proposal is both constitutional and fiscally viable, the next steps would be mounting a full petition campaign and, if successful, taking a validated petition to the State Legislature. Even with everything breaking their way, the committee acknowledges this would be a long-haul project measured in years, not months…