City staff briefed the Edmonds City Council on Aug. 4 about the state's new public-safety sales tax and related grant program, and the council voted to place a draft ordinance on the Aug. 19 agenda for consideration.

Todd Tatum and Assistant Police Chief Rod Sniffen presented the framework. The enabling legislation (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2015) created a two-part program: (1) a three-year, $100 million state grant fund to support hiring, retention and training of police officers and co-responders (the grant covers up to 75% of salary with a 25% local match and a $125,000 per-position cap), and (2) a local-option 0.1 percent sales tax for broad public-safety and criminal-justice purposes.

Tatum explained that a city must meet eligibility requirements and submit documentation to the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC); CJTC reviews submissions and any deficiencies must be corrected within 180 days or the state treasurer may withhold $100,000 per month of collected proceeds until resolved. Tatum said Department of Revenue notification deadlines require municipal ordinances to be transmitted by Oct. 18 to begin collections Jan. 1 (alternate start dates of April 1 or July 1 are possible with later notification deadlines).

Assistant Chief Sniffen told the council the Edmonds Police Department is well positioned to meet the statute's requirements and that the department's recent accreditation work meant much of the documentation is already in place. He said the city could qualify to apply for grant funding tied to any adopted local tax.

Councilmember Nann moved that the council place a draft ordinance on the Aug. 19 agenda to authorize the sales tax and to allow the administration to begin the CJTC submittal process; the motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Dasch proposed adding a public hearing; the council voted down the requirement for an additional hearing on this schedule but agreed to place the ordinance on the Aug. 19 agenda for council action.

Councilmembers discussed eligible uses, which staff described broadly: training, hiring, co-responder and crisis-response services, domestic-violence advocacy, public defenders, diversion, juvenile placements and other criminal-justice or public-safety programs. Staff noted that the grant requires local reporting and that the local tax proceeds must be used for criminal-justice and public-safety purposes.

No final ordinance was adopted on Aug. 4. Staff will bring a draft ordinance and CJTC submittal materials for council consideration on Aug. 19 if council confirms moving the item forward.