Anacortes city councilors on Dec. 1 voted to allocate $250,000 of unallocated opioid settlement funds for 2026 to the North Star initiative and authorized an interlocal agreement to formalize a regional collaborative addressing homelessness and behavioral-health challenges.

Staff presenter Miss Swetnam described Resolution 31-92 as modeled after similar resolutions adopted by neighboring cities; the measure dedicates $250,000 in remaining unallocated opioid funds for the Star Center (North Star). Council members clarified during discussion that this allocation is a one-time commitment to get the Star Center up and running and does not yet obligate funds for other proposals (such as bridge housing or detox programs), which would be considered in future budget cycles and interlocal agreements.

Swetnam then presented an interlocal agreement (25287LEG001) negotiated among Skagit County and member cities (Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Burlington, and others) that articulates the collaborative’s purpose, vision and governance. The agreement creates a leadership team composed of city mayors and one county commissioner, describes decision-making by consensus, includes annual reporting requirements, and contains opt-out provisions for signatories. Councilors said they worked with other cities and county staff to narrow scope language, emphasize prevention and youth services, and avoid committing to pooled housing tax funds; the agreement emphasizes collaboration rather than automatic pooling of resources.

Motion by Councilmember Walters and second by Councilmember Young approved Resolution 31-92. Motion by Councilmember Fantini and second by Miss Hubick authorized the mayor to execute the interlocal agreement; both measures passed by recorded roll-call votes.

What this means: Anacortes has provided an initial one-time allocation to support the North Star Star Center’s start-up and has formally joined (via interlocal authorization) a regional governance structure that will coordinate homelessness, housing instability and behavioral-health responses across jurisdictions. Further funding decisions and programmatic details will come back to participating jurisdictions for future consideration.