It’s a difficult time to be focused on local government considering all the chaos in the other Washington right now. However, we can’t lose attention of what is going on in our own back yard with our city council. In theory, local government is where the rubber hits the street. In practice, it varies quite a bit. In this annual wrap-up of laws passed, we take a look at what the city council has been up to. In short, it can be answered that they haven’t been up to a lot – if you’re measuring by laws passed which is one of their primary purposes.
Out of 84 laws passed last year, only two were sponsored by council members. The rest came from city staff. Here’s a summary of the laws passed by the council:
ORDINANCE 28963, passed 4/30/2024: An ordinance amending Chapter 8.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to Disorderly Conduct, by amending Section 8.12.150, entitled “Littering prohibited – Penalties”, to align more closely with state law; and providing for enforcement, and establishing civil and criminal penalties for violations. [Deputy Mayor Hines]
ORDINANCE 29014, passed 12/4/2024: An ordinance amending Title 1 of the Municipal Code, relating to Administration and Personnel, by adding a new chapter entitled “Climate and Sustainability Commission”, to establish a Climate and Sustainability Commission and appoint current members of the Sustainable Tacoma Commission to the new Commission. [Council Member Walker]
Granted, nearly all of the laws passed by city staff were routine monotonous updates that probably could only come from staff. However, with a plethora of issues our city is facing, it makes one wonder why there isn’t more activity from the city council.
BY THE NUMBERS
2024 – Total laws passed: 84. Total laws sponsored by city council members: 2
2023 – Total laws passed: 66. Total laws sponsored by city council members: 5
2022 – Total laws passed: 66. Total laws sponsored by city council members: 5
The Tacoma Sun 