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Issaquah council discusses 0.1% public-safety sales tax, grant rules and staffing uses
Summary
Council members discussed whether to add a one‑tenth percent public‑safety sales tax that would bring roughly $2.2 million annually and make the city eligible for state grant funds that must be used primarily for sworn officer recruitment and retention and for criminal‑justice services.
Issaquah City Council members on July 12 reviewed a newly authorized public‑safety sales tax and the state grant funding tied to it, and asked staff about who would qualify for the grants and how the city might use any revenue.
The council was told the new one‑tenth percent tax would generate about $2.2 million a year and that state law requires at least 50% of local receipts to “be used solely for attracting and retaining additional commissioned law enforcement.” Chief Schwann said the remaining 50% must be spent on criminal justice purposes such as domestic‑violence advocates, behavioral‑health services and legal support.
Council members asked whether the grants could pay for…
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