CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION setting out public-safety related funding priorities in anticipation of a proposal that the City impose the additional one-tenth of one percent local option public safety sales tax authorized by the 2025 State Legislature.
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WHEREAS, in 2025 the Washington State Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2015, authorizing cities and counties to impose a one-tenth of one percent sales tax to generate revenues for public safety purposes, including improvements for behavioral health, as well as community outreach and assistance, diversion and alternative response programs, and mental health crisis response; and
WHEREAS, in 2024, King County suffered 1,044 deaths due to drug overdose, 568 of which occurred in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, addiction to drugs and other intoxicants is a root cause that contributes to the region's ongoing challenges with public safety, homelessness, and caring for those in mental health crises; and
WHEREAS, studies have shown that a variety of treatment and recovery services approaches, including crisis intervention and inpatient services for those in greatest need, outpatient support for those living in recovery housing, field-based outreach and case management, overdose prevention strategies with intensive wrap-around services in non-congregate shelter, focused housing navigation, and ongoing support through drug protocols such as buprenorphine, have proven effective in addressing different addiction disorders and related public impacts; and
WHEREAS, Seattle's 2024-2025 pilot program to fund immediate low-friction access for appropriate referrals to private in-patient treatment facilities, including for participants in harm reduction and low-barrier programs, has been well-utilized by individuals for whom Medicaid-funded treatment facilities are not the appropriate service or are not immediately accessible for a number of reasons, but aftercare supports including rec...
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