Dave Morell, District 1

Councilmember Dave Morell headshot

Dave Morell

District 1, Executive Pro Tempore

Serving the communities of Bonney Lake, Buckley, Carbonado, Crystal Mountain, Graham, Greenwater, Lake Tapps, Orting, South Hill, South Prairie, Southeast Auburn, Wilkeson, and unincorporated East Pierce County.

Dave is a long-time resident of East Pierce County, having grown up on Lake Tapps, and attended Sumner schools before moving to South Hill where he has lived for 40 years.

He previously served as state Representative for the 25th Legislative District - sitting on the transportation and criminal justice committees, and also served as a Fire Commissioner for Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, a Pierce County Charter Review board member, various Pierce County government boards and commissions and on the Government Affairs Committee for the Puyallup-Sumner Chamber of Commerce. 

He is the father of four grown children and seven grandchildren. Dave enjoys being outdoors and is a National and World-ranked Ironman Triathlete. 

Contact Us


Ph: 253-798-3635
Fx: 253-798-7509

Find CM Morell on social media:
Twitter: @CMDaveMorell
Facebook page: Councilmember Dave Morell

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Councilmember Assistant
Judy Hurley

  County-City Building
10th Floor RM 1046
930 Tacoma Ave. S.
Tacoma, WA 98402

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Discover with Dave


Whether it's shopping at a small business like Lamppost Coffee Roasters, from a Pierce County-based retailer like Teeter, or donating food and other items to local nonprofits like The Market at the Bonney Lake Foodbank, there are plenty of ways to show our Pierce County pride and building up community. Take a drive with me as I cruise Highway 410 and stop at each of these places.
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Behavioral Health Tax


Transforming Behavioral Health in Pierce County

At its last Council meeting of 2020, the Pierce County Council made a commitment to increase behavioral health services in the county by approving a 1/10th of 1 percent sales tax increase, and set in motion creation of a pilot program aimed at reinvesting more Medicaid dollars into Pierce County.

 

I sponsored ordinance 2020-138s, which proposed these actions, including the creation of the first-ever Affordable Care Organization in the state. This pilot program allows for local engagement, ownership and governance, along with empowering Pierce County to build a better healthcare system.

 

Through adoption of my ordinance, we took action to protect Pierce County taxpayers by requiring the development of a strategic plan for behavioral health response, including the requirement for a performance audit review, a date for when the 1/10th of 1 percent sales tax collection will end and a data platform to show where the money is being spent efficiently and effectively with measurable results.

 

Earlier in 2020, I sponsored resolution R2020-20, which requested the Regional System of Care Committee deliver a Strategic Plan for Behavioral Health System Improvements to Council to inform future behavioral health tax expenditures and specified Council’s intent to act on an ordinance imposing a Behavioral Health Tax no later than Dec. 31, 2020. It was through this direction that the Regional System of Care Committee came up with the Affordable Care Organization pilot program proposal.

In March 2020 Council discussed Ordinance 2020-24s at the Human Services Committee meeting. Click here to read my thoughts pertaining to this ordinance.

Standing Committees & External Boards

  1. Standing Committee Memberships
  2. External Boards & Commissions
Standing Committee Position
Rules and Operations Executive Pro Tempore
Community Development Member
Economic and Infrastructure Vice Chair
Public Safety Chair

Visit our Office

Pierce County Council District 1
County-City Building 
10th Floor RM 1046

930 Tacoma Ave S 
Tacoma, WA 98402 

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