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Skagit County commissioners adopt 0.1% sales tax for law-and-justice services under HB 2015
Summary
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 10 adopted an ordinance adding chapter 3.15 to county code to levy a 0.1% sales-and-use tax authorized by House Bill 2015 to fund jail, patrol and co-response mental-health programs. Commissioners said the revenue will support detectives, the drug task force and the North Star initiative.
Skagit County commissioners voted unanimously on Nov. 10 to adopt an ordinance adding chapter 3.15 to the county code to impose a 0.1% sales-and-use tax for criminal-justice purposes under House Bill 2015. Commissioner Browning moved approval; a second was offered and the board voted 3–0.
Commissioner Browning, who introduced the ordinance, said the board remains tax-averse but that state and federal mandates have created unfunded responsibilities the new tax is designed to address. "It's 10¢ on $100 spent," Browning said, and he described targeted uses including support for the county’s drug task force, jail and police functions, and preventative programs tied to the North Star initiative.
Commissioner Wiesen also supported the measure while noting reluctance about new taxes. Wiesen cited the county’s increased responsibility for crash and fatality investigations previously handled by state patrol and said additional local resources are needed to carry workload the state has shifted to counties.
Chair (name not specified) described specific planned uses: hiring additional detectives in the sheriff’s office, expanding a co-response program that embeds social workers with deputies under agreements with cities, and increasing access to a shared information system referred to in the meeting as JULATA.
The board directed staff to finalize a press release describing the ordinance and its intended uses. The ordinance will become part of Skagit County Code chapter 3.15 and, per the board’s discussion, is intended to follow the parameters set by House Bill 2015.
The board took the action during its regular meeting after a prior work session; commissioners said they expect the new revenue to help 2026 budgeting and program implementation.
