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Wenatchee adopts one‑tenth percent criminal justice sales tax to shore up public‑safety costs
Summary
The Wenatchee City Council adopted Ordinance 2025‑12 to add a one‑tenth of one percent criminal justice sales tax, projected to generate roughly $1.2 million in 2026 and $1.6 million in future years to offset rising jail and public‑defender costs. The tax takes effect April 1, 2026, pending state review.
Wenatchee City Council on Nov. 6 adopted Ordinance 2025‑12 to implement a one‑tenth of one percent criminal justice sales tax, a measure the city says is necessary to cover rising jail and public‑defender costs and to preserve current public‑safety service levels.
The ordinance, authorized under state law cited in the ordinance as section 201, chapter 350, Laws of Washington 2025, adds 0.1 percentage point to the city sales‑tax rate. Finance staff estimated the new tax would raise about $1.2 million in 2026 (partial year if adopted) and about $1.6 million annually in subsequent years; staff estimated the median Wenatchee household would pay roughly…
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