Residents in Pierce County considering carving out a new countyStory published 8/7/2026Gig Harbor resident Damon Townsend started a committee to determine whether they could create a new county called Peninsula County. “When we found out that the Pierce County rural, Pierce County unincorporated, has the lowest per capita sheriff's deputies of any jurisdiction in America -- not just in Washington, but in America -- we realized that, you know, over there in the Peninsula area, we provide a lot of tax benefits to the county, and we don't get the same level of services in return.” “One thing I could point out is, just representative-wise, we have seven county council districts in Pierce County,” Townsend said. The Pierce County Executive’s office declined an interview, saying, “This exploratory effort involves an extensive public process that does not include any input or decision-making authority by the Pierce County Executive.” Other residents who would be part of the new county have also expressed concerns about separating from Pierce County, especially Anderson Island residents.