Council Legislation

Proposed Ordinance No. O2025-550s

Title: An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Amending Chapter 2.05 of the Pierce County Code, "Planning and Public Works and Assessor-Treasurer Development Review, Inspection and Application Processing Fees," to Update Fees; Suspending the Building and Development Fund Fiscal Policy Established in Resolution No. R2023-151s; and Setting an Effective Date.

Effective: February 1, 2026

Status: Passed

Sponsors: Councilmembers Jani Hitchen

Final votes

November 18, 2025
Nay Nay Nay Aye Aye Aye Aye


Documents
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Public Comments

Name Date Comment
Jesse Routley 10/21/25 1:52 PM Increasing building permit fees will only cause more burden on home builders and professionals attempting to combat the housing shortage. Pierce County should look internally to cut programs to fight budget short falls not further burden hard working Pierce County builders, developers and professionals whom work in the residentail industy.
Jason Rasmus 10/21/25 2:15 PM As a resident and builder in Pierce County, I STRONGLY oppose any increase to permit fees. Homes are already expensive enough to build, and continuing to add fees is counterintuitive to the purpose of keeping homes affordable for every income level. Again, we are trying to make housing more affordable NOT less affordable. Everyone understands the need to care for parks and roads, but continuing to penalize people who are trying to build or remodel their homes is not the appropriate way to generate those funds.
Scott Walker 10/22/25 6:32 AM I strongly oppose an increase in fees charged for permits and impact fees. a few years back there was a surplus of funds in reserve. it is my understanding is that surplus has been consumed without proper oversight. i believe without the appropriate metrics and review, costs continue to rise and there is no accountability for service level. trying ti add fees like 3% technology fee based on permit values do not match cost / revenue methodology where cost drivers of services are matched against revenue. it feels like when the department runs out of money, it is as simple as asking for more. Homes in Pierce County are already almost 50% higher than the national average, which are a large part a function of jurisductional appetite to add arbitrary cost without fully evaluating alternatives for efficiency. Service levels and durations for work have continued to get worse, putting additional strain on land / lot supply and due to poor performance by staff to work together internally, simply exacerbates the problem. Step up and say no! if they cant figure out how to perform better, dont reward them by simply giving them more moeny to consume without accountability for performance improvements
Tram Bowen 10/28/25 4:36 PM It is impossible to make housing more affordable by increasing the cost to build it. I am a Construction Lender, and I have seen Pierce County Residents try to build their home and have to give up because of the extensive unrealized cost of Permit, Park, Fire, School, Traffic, Sidewalk, Parking, Variance and other fees along with Winter Water, Salmon, Wildlife, Historical, Hydrology, Wetland, Tree, Geotech and other various studies it just isn’t feasible for many. The proposed ordinance will significantly increase costs when they are already a barrier to building. Instead of increasing cost, how about we increase efficiency and provide more permits generating more income at the current rates while providing more housing which will increase inventory and lower the cost of housing. Supply and Demand! The lack of supply creates increased demand and in turn higher prices.