Suquamish committee forwards 0.1% criminal-justice sales-tax resolution to full council; staff to seek CJTC certification

The Suquamish Finance & Administration Committee on Sept. 8 directed staff to forward a resolution (agenda bill 25-081) that would authorize a 0.1% local sales and use tax for criminal-justice purposes to the full City Council, and asked staff to prepare both a grant application and a separate option to enact the tax if certification requirements are met. The committee did not enact the tax; it voted to send the matter to council for final consideration.

The resolution stems from changes enacted by the Washington State Legislature in gross substitute House Bill 2015, which created a three-year, $100 million grant program for hiring and training police officers and co-responder teams and authorized a local 0.1% option sales tax for criminal-justice purposes. Finance Director Gary, who presented the proposal to the committee, said the city must qualify with the state Criminal Justice Training Center (CJTC) before the Department of Revenue would collect the tax on the city’s behalf. "We would generate an…