Seattle council president proposes dedicating part of new public-safety sales tax to addiction treatment and recovery services

Council President Nelson announced a resolution advancing local investments in substance use disorder treatment and recovery services, saying the city should use a newly authorized 0.1% public-safety sales tax to expand “pathways to recovery.” Nelson said the state-authorized tax could raise roughly $35,000,000 and her resolution calls for allocating up to 25% of that revenue to treatment programs.

"The fentanyl crisis and addiction in general is inextricably linked to our chronic homelessness and our public safety problems," Council President Nelson said, arguing that expanding access to evidence-based treatment would blunt both public-safety and public-health harms.

The resolution, which Nelson said has been cleared by law, will appear on the introduction and referral calendar next week for the council’s consideration and further drafting of funding priorities. Nelson told questioners the mayor has signaled support for the idea in principle but that exact allocations will depend on the budget process and departmental proposals.

Why it matters: City and nonprofit service providers told Nelson that existing programs are at capacity, that some successful initiatives have lost state and local funding, and that local revenue could stabilize and expand low-barrier treatment, recovery housing and supports intended to keep people from returning…