Drafter
Clerk 05/19/2009
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the mental illness and drug dependency implementation plan; and amending Ordinance 16261, Section 2.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. In 2005, the Washington 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.
2. In 2007, the King County council adopted Ordinance 15949 authorizing the levy and 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. The ordinance also established a policy framework for measuring the effectiveness of the public's investment, requiring the King County executive to submit oversight, implementation and evaluation plans for the programs funded with the tax revenue.
3. In 2008, the Washington state Legislature amended RCW 82.14.460 in Chapter 157, Laws of Washington 2008, which defines those programs and services that are authorized for funding by the sales tax. The amendment added housing that is a component of a coordinated mental health or chemical dependency treatment program or service to the list of programs and services that are authorized for funding by the sales tax. The statute also amended the nonsupplanting provision to allow the sales tax funds to be used for replacement of lapsed federal funding previously provided for mental health, substance abuse and therapeutic court services and programs.
4. In April 2008, the King County council adopted Ordinance 16077, establishing the King County mental illness and drug dependency oversight committee. The oversight committee is an advisory body to the King County executive and the council. The purpose of the oversight com...
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