Drafter
Clerk 11/05/2007
title
AN ORDINANCE authorizing the levy and collection of an additional sales and use tax of one-tenth of one percent for the delivery of mental health and chemical dependency services, and therapeutic courts with collections to begin consistent with RCW 82.14.055.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. In 2005, recognizing the need for additional mental health and chemical dependency programs, the state legislature authorized counties to implement a one-tenth of one percent sales tax to support new or expanded chemical dependency or mental health treatment services and for the operation of new or expanded therapeutic court programs.
B. In July 2006, Motion 12320 called for a mental illness and drug dependency action plan. The plan was to include a study of individuals with mental illness and chemical dependency involved in the criminal justice, emergency services and homeless services systems; a review of current county programs and strategies for addressing the issues and problems of the mentally ill and substance abusing population recycling through jail, emergency medical homeless services systems.
C. The Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Action Plan was submitted in 2007. The plan included: a study of individuals with mental illness and chemical dependency involved in the criminal justice, emergency services and homeless services systems; and a review of current county programs and strategies for addressing the issues and problems of the mentally ill and substance abusing population recycling through jail, emergency medical homeless services systems.
D. The action plan action specified the goal of this fund and the related programs is to "Â…prevent and reduce chronic homelessness and unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice and emergency medical systems and promote recovery for persons with disabling mental illness and chemical dependency by implementing a full continuum of treatment, housing and case management services."
E. The purpose of this sales tax is to fund new or expanded mental health and substance abuse services and therapeutic court programs that focus on the prevention and reduction of chronic homelessness and unnecessary involvement in the criminal justice and emergency medical systems and promote recovery for persons with disabling mental illness and chemical dependency by implementing a full continuum of treatment, housing and case management services.
F. The county desires to: promote adequate, stable public funding for community mental health services in King County; ensure timely, affordable culturally appropriate access to mental health services that focus on recovery and resilience; improve community-based treatment programs and reduce costly incarceration and emergency room treatment; develop a stable and well-trained workforce; reduce caseloads to ensure quality and timely services for clients; improve workplace safety; and improve continuity of care and services.
SECTION 2. Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of this ordinance should constitute a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 4.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 3. A. For the purpose of providing funding for the delivery of mental health and chemical dependency services, and therapeutic courts, an additional sales and use tax of one-tenth of one percent is hereby levied, fixed and imposed on all taxable events within King County as defined in chapter 82.08, 82.12 or 82.14 RCW, except as provided in subsection B. of this section. The tax shall be imposed upon and collected from those persons from whom sales tax or use tax is collected in accordance with chapter 82.08 or 82.14 RCW, and shall be so collected at the rate of one-tenth of one percent of the selling price, in the case of a sales tax, or value of the article used, in the case of a use tax. This additional sales and use tax shall be in addition to all other existing sales and use taxes currently imposed by the county.
B. If, as a result of the imposition of the additional sales and use tax authorized in subsection A. of this section, the county imposes an additional sales and use tax upon sales of lodging in excess of the limits contained in RCW 82.14.410, the sales shall be exempt from the imposition of that additional sales and use tax.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 4. A. The proceeds of the tax imposed under section 3 of this ordinance shall be used solely for the purpose of providing new or expanded chemical dependency or mental health treatment services and for the operation of new or expanded therapeutic court programs.
B. The proceeds of the tax imposed under section 3 of this ordinance may not be used to supplant existing funding.
C. For the purposes of this section, "proceeds" means the moneys raised by the additional sales and use tax authorized by this chapter and any interest thereon.
SECTION 5. It is the county's policy that contractors and providers fully exercise the rights and responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. Sects. 151 through 169.
SECTION 6. The tax imposed under section 3 of this ordinance shall take effect
in accordance with RCW 82.14.055.
SECTION 7. Section 4 of this ordinance takes effect April 1, 2008.