County Council’s 2010 budget process under way

The Pierce County Council’s scrutiny of the county’s 2010 budget began Tuesday when councilmembers receive the County Executive’s budget proposal at their regular 3 p.m. meeting in the Council Chambers in Tacoma.

There will be three budget study sessions on Oct. 7, 13 and 20 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The study sessions are open to the public. The council will hear from department directors and the county’s other elected officials at public hearings beginning Oct. 21.

Some of the tentatively scheduled budget hearings in the Council Chambers are:

• Oct. 21, 9 a.m. – Auditor Jan Shabro

• Oct. 27, 9 a.m. – Budget and Finance Director Patrick Kenney

• Oct. 28, 9 a.m. – Sheriff Paul Pastor, Corrections Bureau Chief Robert Masko, Emergency Management Director Steve Bailey

• Oct. 28, 1:30 p.m. – Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist, Department of Assigned Counsel Director Michael Kawamura, District Court Presiding Judge Margaret Ross

• Oct. 29, 9 a.m. – Superior Court Presiding Judge Bryan Chushcoff, Juvenile Court Administrator Shelly Maluo

• Oct. 29, 1:30 p.m. – WSU Cooperative Extension; Human Resources Director Betsy Sawyers, Acting Risk Manager Mark Maenhout, Interim Information Technology Director Linda Gerull

• Oct. 30, 9 a.m. – Public Works and Utilities Director Brian Ziegler (sewers, stormwater, Chambers Creek properties)

• Oct. 30, 1:30 p.m. – Public Works and Utilities Director Brian Ziegler (roads, ferries)

• Nov. 2, 1:30 p.m. – Assessor-Treasurer Dale Washam

• Nov. 4, 9 a.m. – Planning and Land Services Director Chuck Kleeberg, Parks and Recreation Director Kathy Kravit-Smith

• Nov. 4, 1:30 pm. – Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Director of Health Dr. Anthony L-T Chen, Community Services Director Tom Hilyard

The council plans to adopt the final version of the 2010 budget at its regular meeting at 3 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Council Chambers.

All regular council meetings are broadcast live on C-RCC TV (channels 22 or 78) and streamed live at www.co.pierce.wa.us/cfapps/internet/redirectCouncilWebcast.cfm.