[From the Seattle Times, Dec. 3, 2008, by Lynn Thompson]
The Snohomish County Council recently approved a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax to expand chemical-dependency and mental-health services. Nine other counties, including King, Skagit and Whatcom, have approved the tax. The measure will raise an estimated $11 million a year for a system that advocates say is chronically underfunded and is projected to get worse as the state faces a $5.1 billion budget deficit. The state and federal government currently fund 80 % of the county's drug- and alcohol-treatment services.
The new tax will fund additional detox beds, residential treatment beds, expanded drug court for adults and juveniles, a family treatment court, and drug and alcohol specialists for high schools. A triage center also would be created to provide an alternative to the county jail for addicts or the mentally ill experiencing an acute health crisis.
Linda Grant, director of Evergreen Manor, and Ken Stark, director of human services for Snohomish County are quoted in the article in support of the need for increased funding for treatment in the county.
