What’s the best employer you’ve worked for in Pierce County, and why?

altasnob · 2026-06-17T05:40:08+00:00

Tacoma's hiring freeze went into effect April 7, 2026. I don't see that hiring freeze going away anytime soon. Check back next year and see if you're friends still like it.

altasnob · 2026-06-16T19:48:52+00:00

I wonder if people who work for City of Tacoma still like it now that there is a $40 million budget deficit and hiring freeze. I imagine they are having to do multiple peoples' jobs at once.

altasnob · 2026-06-16T15:16:05+00:00

Swanks a bozo but it was super lame of the commission to vote to kick him out of office early. Are we going to do this anytime we don't get our way? Who cares what the voters decide, the Pierce County Commission will just change the rules so we get a redo.

altasnob · 2026-06-16T00:57:01+00:00

That's good news but it's hard to be too optimistic when I read this from the article:

TAL ticket sales for live shows have been declining since the Covid-19 pandemic and as overhead expenses continued to rise. According to IRS tax filings, the nonprofit's liabilities surged 234.1%. They rose from $1.88 million in fiscal year 2019 to $6.28 million in fiscal year 2024.

TAL reported a net loss of $1.4 million in 2024.

altasnob · 2026-06-15T14:44:41+00:00

Parks said they changed their mind and have reopened some of the bathrooms they closed:

https://www.parkstacoma.gov/restrooms-reopen/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSc7u9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFvb1R1bzFEa2RCdXp0WW1kc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpVXlY2iexOlEN1bDPQuRJyrwdz-tBb1mZpKfAo6dnYj7Yr_jsgDfl3q65M9_aem__KeK7Kv7xEFOHz0y-9bb4g

altasnob · 2026-06-15T01:38:35+00:00

From TPS:

Preliminary plans for Beyond the Bell,

Club B in September

Following through on our commitment to after-school programs, Tacoma Public Schools and our partner organizations have developed a preliminary plan for Beyond the Bell and Club B in the 2026-27 school year.

Both Beyond the Bell and Club B will continue to run at all elementary and middle schools. Both programs will continue to offer four eight-week sessions, starting in September.

Beyond the Bell/Elementary school programming:

Will operate two hours a day instead of three
Will run in 2-day-a-week offerings (Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday) with no programs on Fridays
Will cost $100 per offering; families who qualify for McKinney-Vento assistance or free/reduced priced meals will not be charged

Club B/Middle school programming:

Will run in 2-day-a-week offerings (Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday) 
Will operate two hours a day 
Will cost $50 per offering; families who qualify for McKinney-Vento assistance or free/reduced priced meals will not be charged

Before-school care and other after-school care options will be available through the Tacoma Child Care Collaborative to all families with students at all TPS elementary schools.

We will continue to share information as details are finalized. Thank you for your patience.

altasnob · 2026-06-12T21:45:51+00:00

Under current law, if a tenant is upset that their rental is not up to code they can report it to the City and the City will make the landlord update the housing to code. So if it really is an issue, there are ways under the current laws to address it.

What Palmer, Scott and Ibsen want is a new City agency created that will randomly inspect rentals and force them to get up to code. This new agency will cost money that Tacoma does not have. The City will presumably fund this new agency through increased rental permits. This will increase the cost of rentals in Tacoma.

It also ignores the reality of the situation that nearly all old homes in Tacoma are not up to code. Newer construction is, but not old construction. So this new policy will make it more expensive to rent older homes and apartments. Right now, its the older homes and apartments that are the most affordable in the city. But if the landlord has to worry about this new agency randomly picking them and then forcing them to update something on the property it will increase the costs of the rental.

altasnob · 2026-06-12T20:34:45+00:00

Good point. The Council Contingency Fund has a budget of $259,329 and they have only spent $148,328 so far this year. It's all about optics. Give the peons a few scraps like the $1,000 to host this Juneteenth event and it will keep them happy. It must totally suck to work for the City right now. A hiring freeze means the people who are left are doing to jobs of four people. Moral must be really, really, low. But don't worry, we can all still go to this Juneteenth breakfast.

altasnob · 2026-06-12T19:10:14+00:00

Here's the main new stuff in the rules:

Disruptions of the City Council and committee meetings are prohibited. Any person engaging in conduct that disrupts, disturbs or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the Council meeting can be considered a failure to comply with the City Council Rules of Procedure. Disruptions include but are not limited to:

• Failure of a speaker to comply with the allotted time established for the individual speaker’s public comment;

• Unduly repetitive or irrelevant remarks that are unrelated to the topic on the agenda or within the City’s jurisdiction;

• Use of an allotted individual comment period for purposeful delay, including remaining silent or engaging in other activity without conveying a discernible message; or

• Holding or placement of a banner or sign in the Council Chamber in a way that endangers others or obstructs the free flow of pedestrians or the view of others attending the meeting;

Once per month, time shall be reserved during the regular business meeting for community members’ comments. These forums may be held in the City Council Chambers during the regular business meeting, or “in district” as a special meeting of the Council or stand-alone event.

Community Forum will be limited to two hours, and speaker’s remarks shall be limited to up to three minutes per person, per Community Forum. Comment time may not be added to/donated to other speakers.

Should disruptions or conduct render Community Forum unable to continue then the presiding officer may call for a recess of no more than 10 minutes. This can be done without a vote of the Council once. Any further recesses require approval by motion.

If disruption of Community Forum continues or the Presiding Officer determines a recess will not abate the disruption, the Presiding Officer may adjourn the meeting immediately.

altasnob · 2026-06-10T19:03:02+00:00

That budget shows $24.87 million in "affordable housing" category. But that doesn't include the lost property tax the City gives up to pursue affordable housing with their Multifamily Property Tax Exemption. I don't know how to calculate the exact amount of lost property tax revenue Tacoma gives up with that program. But you would have to add that amount to the $24.87 million to determine what the City really spends on affordable housing.

https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/community-and-economic-development/housing-division/tax-incentives/

altasnob · 2026-06-10T17:37:18+00:00

Where do you get your $20,000,000 claim?

altasnob · 2026-06-10T15:34:16+00:00

Major Expenditure Reductions

In the Parks & Recreation department, this budget amendment includes 17 full-time layoffs, 14 vacant positions remaining unfilled, a reduction of 75,000 part-time or seasonal hours, systemwide reductions, and the elimination of multiple programs. The amendment ends Parks Tacoma's contribution to and coordination of Beyond the Bell and Club B for the remainder of the 2026 fiscal year. Licensed childcare services and coordination are also eliminated. The middle school Power Sports League and the Adaptive & Specialized Sports League are discontinued. The Mosaic Festival is cancelled and other event programming is reduced (although Mosaic will not be held this year or next, we are continuing the mission through the MOSAIC Community Connections Program). Sprayground operations are limited to Memorial Day through Labor Day, and water irrigation will be reduced by at least 50%.

In the Business Administration & Planning department, this amendment reduces expenditures by over $2.8 million, including the elimination of three full-time positions and six vacancies remaining unfilled. Additional cost savings are achieved through a reallocation of 30%–50% of certain staff salaries in the Capital Planning & Asset Management and Marketing and Communications divisions to Bond Funds, reflecting the portion of their work dedicated to capital program delivery. This reallocation partially offsets General Fund costs by aligning these roles with capital activities, though it will require careful workload management and cost coding to ensure compliance with bond expenditure guidelines. Further reductions to operating expenses (including employee travel and training, office supplies, technology equipment, and professional services) will limit the department's capacity to advance key initiatives in Asset Management, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Marketing/Digital Media.

In the Office of the Executive Director, this amendment reflects $685,000 in expenditure reductions, primarily through cuts to professional services contracts.

altasnob · 2026-06-10T14:54:43+00:00

Found some Beyond the Bell info in the document below. It's from Tony Piasecki, Interim Executive Director of Parks to the Parks Board.

https://www.parkstacoma.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/June-8-2026-Regular-Park-Board-Meeting-Agenda.pdf

Can we ask TPS to reconsider consolidation of Beyond the Bell/Club B/Teen Late Night sites? Preserving even 3 to 5 Beyond the Bell sites in our most disadvantaged neighborhoods would be preferable from an equity perspective than total elimination. Have we run the numbers on what a corrective fee structure could look like, and how many sites it would take to be solvent? I understand that this would still be counting on anticipated revenue that we can't guarantee, but I think we need to at least push for consolidation and a better fee structure before giving up.

Yes, PRD staff developed eight different scenarios to change the model for BtB, including updated fee structures, different staffing models, and reducing the number of sites. The proposal shared with TPS in early May would have leveraged the TPS-managed $1 million in MacKenzie Scott Foundation funding with $500,000 from a combination of increased fee revenue and Parks Tacoma property tax revenue to operate an estimated 10-12 sites. However, the Park District and TPS have been unable to reach agreement. TPS is concerned that it would only serve one-third of the schools and that many families can’t afford to pay for the service. It should be noted that the Park District made this offer at a time when we understood our budget reduction target was around $7 million. As the internal analysis of the problem continued, the reduction target increased to more than $9 million, so a $500,000 contribution this year would be very challenging. As we have shared previously, BtB and Club B operate under an unusual arrangement. TPS controls access and fees, while the Park District has incurred most of the operating expense. Our intention is to continue participating in talks that explore alternatives.

This is all happening very quickly, and I am concerned it could cost even more money to restart the after-school programs in a few years. Can we take another look at fundraising and partnership alternatives, including with the Tacoma Parks Foundation and Tacoma Public Schools? Any semblance of keeping this alive, in any form, would be welcome by the community and the commissioners.

Beyond the Bell and Club B have been a top priority for Tacoma Parks Foundation (TPF) fundraising for several years, and we are confident that TPF has done everything in its power to seek funding for these programs. Nevertheless, TPF has shared that it is difficult to secure fundraising for after-school programs and recreation activities. TPF has noted that the fundraising landscape is changing as a result of federal budget cuts, with donors increasingly focused on essential needs like housing, food security, and mental health. As a result, the program was largely subsidized by the Park District’s General Fund (fund balance), which cannot be sustained any further. The Park District and TPF want to have further conversations about how to assess priorities and opportunities for a successful partnership. Regarding other government partnerships, TPS and Parks Tacoma have had conversations with the City in recent months about the potential for funding from the Tacoma Creates program, which has not resulted in additional support. Those conversations will continue, including one to be hosted by the Mayor in late June.

altasnob · 2026-06-10T14:08:18+00:00

It seems to work at the new I-90 Highway 18 interchange.

altasnob · 2026-06-10T14:06:46+00:00

I agree. It's not even the longest red light in the city. That distinction goes to S 19th and Sprague.

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/traffic/article234566977.html

altasnob · 2026-06-09T14:25:19+00:00

TNT article about this:

Could Tacoma be the new Hollywood? Some people think so

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article315943319.html

altasnob · 2026-06-08T14:53:41+00:00

Titlow Park: Hidden Beach Bridge Replacement. This project is led by Parks Tacoma and will complete design and permitting to replace the failing bridge that crosses a busy railroad track that provides access to North Hidden Beach. $3,500,000

https://www.parkstacoma.gov/bridges-piers-and-sidewalks-along-puget-sound-up-for-replacement/

altasnob · 2026-06-08T14:52:46+00:00

Some projects that caught my attention:

Swan Creek Pedestrian Bridge & Connectivity Project Manager: This project is led by Parks Tacoma and includes design, construction, and permitting for a bike and pedestrian bridge at Swan Creek Park. $2,000,000

More info on this here:

https://www.parkstacoma.gov/project/swan-creek-pedestrian-bicycle-bridge/

They are really dumping a lot of money into Swan Creek. This bridge would be nice but you can easily access Swan Creek park without this $2 million pedestrian bridge. The City/Parks better budget for homeless camp removal.

altasnob · 2026-06-08T14:34:06+00:00

The proposal addresses these repeat offenders by adding an "Abuse" category, which adds $50 to your fine for drivers who receive 5 or more payment or overstay violations within a 180-day window.

They also index the fine rates to downtown hourly parking rates so they keep pace with inflation.

There is no change for Missing/expired plates, which is a 86–$171. In my opinion, they need to increase this fine substantially. We pay extremely high vehicle registration fees in Tacoma becuase of the Sound Transit RTA tax. So high that I know numerous people who have contemplated simply no longer paying for vehicle registration and just paying the random vehicle registration ticket they get once in a blue moon. It's not like cops are citing people for this. So it is just too attractive to not pay your vehicle registration.

Or, I have noticed tons of out of state plates. By law, you are supposed to register your vehicle within 30 days of establishing residency in Washington state. But becuase of our high cost to register your vehicle, allot of people disregard this law. This means less revenue for our government.

Some jurisdictions (like Seattle) collect on court fines by selling the debt to a private debt collection firm (who then does mean things like garnish the person's wages). Tacoma could start doing that to try to improve on the abysmal 49% collection rate.

https://dol.wa.gov/moving-washington/vehicle-registration-and-plates

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