After learning that Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy vetoed the county’s comprehensive plan, passed unanimously by the County Council on June 30, Council Chair Dan Roach issued the following statement:
“I am surprised that the executive chose to reject the widely-supported plan given the tremendous amount of work put into it by county staff from a number of departments. Large, complex pieces of legislation are often a compromise between sides, none of which usually gets 100-percent of what was hoped for. To veto the whole plan based solely on a few amendments she found disagreeable is dangerously short-sighted.
“The Council had been working diligently, taking input from citizens all over the county, to craft an amenable plan before the June 30th deadline, and now this veto has put the county out of compliance with the state’s Growth Management Act and seriously jeopardized our ability to receive state funding. The plan we passed unanimously was the result of an extensive amount of research, discussion and collaboration, and deserves to remain intact.
“The two amendments she cited as reasons for her veto went through the entire legislative process – one of them over the course of years – receiving public input and debate both in committee meetings and at the final hearing. While she may not like them, they are supported by a majority of the people we represent which is why the final plan passed the council 7-0.
“We now have 30 days in which we can override the veto. I intend to bring this issue back for an override vote before the end of the 30-day time period.”
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Roach, Pierce County Council Chair
(253) 798-3635
[email protected]
Erich R. Ebel, Pierce County Communications
(253) 798-6220
[email protected]