Staff briefs council on House Bill 2015: 0.1% councilmanic public-safety sales tax and $100M grant program

City of Olympia staff updated council on House Bill 2015, a legislative change that allows jurisdictions to levy a councilmanic 0.1% local sales tax for broad public safety and criminal justice needs and that established a separate $100 million grant program to assist jurisdictions with hiring and training personnel.

Finance Director Mike Giffins summarized the package and the mechanics: if enacted locally, the added 0.1% would increase Olympia's combined sales-and-use tax rate from 9.8% to 9.9%, and unlike some sales taxes that are shared, the additional tenth would be retained entirely by the jurisdiction that levies it. "It completely comes to Olympia," Giffins said. City Manager Bernie and staff explained that the city would not need to wait for county action and that the Criminal Justice Training Commission…