09/26/2007: "Hearing To Be Held On Sales Tax Increase"

The County Council was told on Tuesday that the current programs that provide mental health and chemical dependency services in the county are “inadequate to meet the need.”

Citing a need for additional money for mental health programs, and legislation ( RCW 82.14.460) passed in 2005 that allows an increase in the state sales tax for funding, the County Council agreed to move forward on a sales and use tax of one-tenth of one percent (i.e.10 cents per $100) as a source of additional funding.

According to a staff report from SJC Health & Community Services, it is estimated that the tax increase will generate in excess of $300,000.00 per year. The collected money may only be used for “new or expanded mental health and chemical dependency services” and the “operation or expansion of a therapeutic court”.

San Juan County has services for mental health and chemical dependency services, but not a “therapeutic court.” Some on the Council wanted to know what such a court would do, and why the county’s current court system could not handle whatever the new “court’ would do.

It was explained that a therapeutic court is defined as one that only handles “judicial supervision, coordination, and oversight of treatment provided to parents and families who have mental health and/or substance abuse problems and who are involved in dependency hearings.” The establishment of a therapeutic court may help District and Superior court to free of some of their calendar time.