Sherry Bockwinkel, a longtime backer of term limits who is taking a lead in opposing the extension of term limits in Pierce County, called to say she is part of a legal challenge to the ballot title on Prop. 1.

Bockwinkel and Kelly Haughton will be represented by attorney Richard Shepard when they appear Friday morning before Pierce County Superior Court Judge Bryan Chushcoff. They will argue that the ballot title prepared by county lawyers is argumentative and should be rewritten.

Bockwinkel also claims that there was no notice given by the county that challenges to the wording were allowed. By the time the county gve her a copy – only after she filed a public records act request – the deadline for the challenge had passed.

The matter will be heard at 9 a.m.

Pierce County will close down most of its mental health services and lay off 130 employees next month as the state and a private contractor seek to revamp services here.

The reshuffling of services will affect thousands of people suffering mental health crises, many of them a danger to themselves or others.

State officials say the quality of care for those patients will not suffer.

“The county is not losing any services,” said Doug Porter, an assistant secretary at the state Department of Social and Health Services. “We hope the quality of care is the same if not better,”

County officials – who bargained unsuccessfully to keep the existing system – sounded less confident.

“All we can go on is the assurances we’ve been given by the state,” said Deputy County Executive Kevin Phelps.

Pierce County provides inpatient and crisis services to thousands of people each year. Among the services it offers:

• A 30-bed evaluation and treatment center for voluntary and involuntary patients. The center admitted 793 people last year and 419 people through the first six months of this year. About 85 percent of patients are involuntarily committed because they pose a danger to themselves or others or because they are gravely disabled.

• An 18-bed crisis triage center. The center admitted 3,562 people last year and 1,803 people through the first six months of this year. About 35 percent of people admitted to the center are brought in by police officers. Others are diverted from community hospital emergency rooms, which are not equipped to treat mentally ill people who are manic, loud, violent or otherwise disruptive.

• A 24-hour crisis telephone line for emergencies, information, referrals or phone counseling.

• Mobile outreach crisis teams provide who provide mental health services throughout in Pierce County from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and on weekends.

State officials say they will not reduce the level or quality of services Pierce County provides. But beginning Oct. 1 those and other services will be provided by a variety of new contractors to be announced as soon as Friday.

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As we've reported U.S. Congressman Adam Smith will be in Lakewood next week for a town hall on health care. The location of Tuesday's event has changed to accommodate the expected turnout.

The Aug. 25 town hall is scheduled for Harry Lang Stadium, 6615 111th St SW, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Those who want to attend should call Smith's office 253-593-6600.

Not to be outdone, congressional candidate James Postma, a GOP challenger for Smith's seat, is holding his own town halls.

• Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. at Lakewood City Hall, room 1E board of directors room, Lakewood Towne Center.

• Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Puyallup Library, board room, 324 S Meridian, Puyallup.

• Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. Kent Commons, Interurban room, Fourth and James street, Kent.

Those who want to attend should call 253-441-0541 to RSVP.

Later in the month, 3rd District Congressman Brian Baird will be in Thurston County. He's scheduled a town hall for Aug. 31 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at South Puget Sound College's Minnaert Center for the Arts, 2011 Mottman Road SW in Tumwater.

After initially criticizing the health care town halls for producing more conflict than discussion, Baird reversed course and decided to hold a series of events around Southwest Washington. His first meeting in Vancouver attracted 2,800.

We've reconfigured the state's biennial salary study into a searchable database. It allows you to search by name, by title and by agency and then sort by pay amount. Check it out here.