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Whatcom County staff: state lawmakers did not fund behavioral-care design; short-term help for crisis centers falls short of fixes
Summary
County staff reported that the 2025 state legislative session did not provide a capital design grant for the county's behavioral-care center and that only limited, short-term operating allocations were advanced for crisis stabilization facilities; task force members were urged to continue advocacy and planning for sustainable operating models.
WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Kayla from the county executive's office briefed the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force on May 12 about outcomes from the 2025 state legislative session relevant to the Justice Project and behavioral-care facilities.
Kayla said the county requested approximately $800,000 in state capital funding to support design work for the planned behavioral-care center; that request was not approved. "We asked, I believe, for around $800,000 of design money, and that request was not supported or advanced by the legislature," she said. County staff said the design work will proceed using local funds (local sales-tax revenues) rather than the hoped-for state contribution, and the county intends to refile funding requests in the next legislative session.
The executive's office also flagged continuing concerns about the operating model for crisis stabilization centers. Kayla said state-level attention produced some short-term budget allocations for already-built facilities, but not a long-term sustainability solution. She noted that proposals about BH-ASO (behavioral health administrative services organization) procurement and managed-care payment rules passed in the session and are on the governor's desk; those changes could affect long-term financing but do not resolve immediate operating shortfalls.
Task force members urged continued advocacy and asked staff to prepare more detailed fiscal materials. Task force co-chairs said they expect a future session focused on financing and asked county staff to prepare materials about where funds originate and how services are currently paid for.
Ending: County staff said they will pursue state options again next session and provide the task force with more detailed finance materials in a future meeting.
