RES 2013-02 SALES USE TAXRESOLUTION NO. 2013-02
A RESOLUTION of the City Council of Bainbridge Island,
Washington, in support of Kitsap County Board of
Commissioner's enactment of a one -tenth of one percent sales and
use tax in Kitsap 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, 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; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Bainbridge Island is gravely concerned the
loss of local, state, and federal fields 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 BAINBRIDGE ISLAND DOES
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
The City Council of the City of Bainbridge Island stands firmly behind enactment of a
sales and use tax increase and recommends adoption of this tax to help ensure mental
health and chemical dependency treatment programs and services, with specific attention
to provision of services through the county jail, juvenile justice system, children's
services and schools, county courts, inpatient and outpatient facilities, shelters and
housing services for eligible, high need individuals.
PASSED by the City Council this 23rd day of January, 2013.
APPROVED by the Mayor this 23rd day of January, 2013.
By: 1 V.,X
Steven Bonkowski, Mayor
ATTEST /AUTHENTICATE:
By: \4.sso4—-
Rosalind D. Lassoff
City Clerk
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: January 10, 2013
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: January 23, 2013
RESOLUTION NO. 2013 -02