Council hears plan for 0.1% public-safety sales tax to fund care teams, 911 staff and treatment beds

Seattle officials on Sept. 25 detailed a proposal to adopt a state-authorized 0.1% local sales tax earmarked for public-safety purposes, saying the levy would raise about $39 million in 2026 and support a mix of first-response, alternative-response and treatment investments. Central staff warned the committee the tax must be adopted by mid-October to meet Department of Revenue implementation deadlines and that the state enabling law does not contain a non-supplantation clause, meaning proceeds could be used to replace existing local funding as well as for new spending. Tom Mikesell of the City Budget Office described the legal and timing constraints: “Chapter 350, Laws of 2025 passed by the state legislature provided for a 0.1% councilmanic tax,” he said, adding that the tax would raise an estimated $39,000,000 in 2026 and must be adopted by Oct. 14 for full-year 2026 collection. Mikesell stressed the sales-tax increase would be regressive, that household food purchases for home consumption are exempt, and that the city’s October revenue forecast could change the estimate. The mayor’s package, and the executive’s proposed use of the revenue, emphasizes a “holistic” approach to public safety, combining traditional emergency response with public-health and diversion investments. Natalie Walton Anderson,…