HomeMy WebLinkAbout3186 RESOLUTION NO. 3186
A RESOLUTION of the City Council of the City of
Bremerton, Washington, to encourage the Krtsap County Board of
Commissioners to enact a one -tenth of one percent sales and use
tax in Krtsap County for the purpose of providing funds for
provision of mental health treatment and/or chemical dependency
treatment programs and services, and for the operation or delivery
of therapeutic court programs and services
WHEREAS, the mental health and chemical dependency treatment
programs and services have been shown effective in helping people recover from
behavioral health illness, thereby reducing human and financial costs to society, and
increasing the productivity of individuals as members of our community, and
WHEREAS, such services are known to prevent and reduce costly and
unnecessary involvement with criminal justice and court system, emergency medical
care, shelters, and crisis services, and promote recovery for persons with disabling mental
illness and chemical dependency by implementing a full continuum of treatment,
including outpatient treatment, housing, and case management services, and
WHEREAS, the public mental health system, funded by state and federal
dollars, does not have adequate resources to provide outpatient treatment to non -
Medicaid eligible individuals, and
WHEREAS, current and forecasted funding does not provide the needed
funds to establish and/or maintain therapeutic court programs shown to reduce crime,
recidivism and support recovery, and
WHEREAS, decreased availability of less costly behavioral health out-
patient services rapidly results in use of emergent and far more expensive crisis services,
where these increasingly scarce dollars must be used to treat people in costly inpatient
units and hospitals, an unnecessary toll in both human suffering and financial burden, and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Legislature adopted in 2005, Chapter
504 (E2SSB 5763) authorizing counties to fix and impose a sales and use tax in the
amount of one -tenth of one percent (1 /10 %) to provide new or expanded mental health or
chemical dependency treatment programs and services that include but are not limited to
treatment services, case management, and housing that are a component of a coordinated
chemical dependency or mental health treatment program or services, and to provide for
the operation of new or expanded therapeutic court programs, and
WHEREAS, 20 of 37 counties in Washington State have successfully
enacted E2SSB 5763, in order to promote recovery for persons with disabling mental
illness and chemical dependency, but Krtsap County has not adopted such a tax, and
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Sales and Use Tax for Mental Health /Chemical Dependency Programs
WHEREAS, the City Council is gravely concerned the loss of local, state,
and federal funds to our community has resulted in a diminished capacity to provide
necessary behavioral health services for children, families, adults and older adults, and
that the uncertain forecast for additional funding losses will result In an even greater lack
of access to behavioral health care, compromising the health and safety of individuals and
the community, NOW THEREFORE,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BREMERTON, WASHINGTON,
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS
SECTION 1. The City Council stands firmly behind enactment of a sales and
use tax increase in the amount of one -tenth of one percent (1 /10 %) to provide new or expanded
mental health or chemical dependency treatment programs and services and recommends that
Kitsap County adopt this tax to help ensure mental health and chemical dependency treatment
programs and services, with specific attention to provision of services through the county ail,
juvenile justice system, children's services and schools, county courts, inpatient and outpatient
facilities, shelters and housing services for eligible, high need individuals
SECTION 2. SeverabihU If any one or more sections, subsections, or
sentences of this Resolution are held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not
affect the validity of the remaining portion of this Resolution and the same shall remain in full
force and effect
SECTION 3. Effective Date This Resolution shall take effect and be in force
immediately upon Its passage
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Bremerton, Washington this
day of r '2013 "
vV
GREG ELER, Council President
APPROVED AS TO FORM AT T
R GER A LUBOVICH, City Attorn SFIAIINON L CORIN, City Clerk
R \ Legal \Legal\Resolutions\Municipal Court\Support of Kitsap County Sales and Use Tax Increase doc
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Sales and Use Tax for Mental Health /Chemical Dependency Programs