Drafter
Clerk 03/26/2015
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A MOTION accepting the mental illness and drug dependency seventh annual report, in compliance with Ordinances 15949, 16261 and 16262.
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WHEREAS, in 2005, the state Legislature authorized counties to implement a one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax to support new or expanded chemical dependency or mental health treatment programs and services and for the operation of new or expanded therapeutic court programs and services, and
WHEREAS, in November 2007, the council approved Ordinance 15949 authorizing the levy collection of and legislative policies for the expenditure of revenues from 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, and
WHEREAS, the ordinance defined the following five policy goals for programs supported through sales tax funds:
1. A reduction of the number of mentally ill and chemically dependent using costly interventions like jail, emergency rooms and hospitals;
2. A reduction of the number of people who recycle through the jail, returning repeatedly as a result of their mental illness or chemical dependency;
3. A reduction of the incidence and severity of chemical dependency and mental and emotional disorders in youth and adults;
4. Diversion of mentally ill and chemically dependent youth and adults from initial or further justice system involvement; and
5. Explicit linkage with, and furthering the work of, other council directed efforts including, the adult and juvenile justice operational master plans, the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, the Veterans and Human Services Levy Service Improvement Plan and the county Mental Health Recovery Plan, and
WHEREAS, the ordinance established a policy framework for measuring the public's investment, requiring the King County executive to submit oversight, implementation and evaluation plans for the programs funded with tax revenue,...

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