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Island County commissioners adopt 0.1% law-and-justice sales tax in 2-1 vote
Summary
Island County commissioners on Dec. 1 approved Ordinance C64-25 to impose an additional 0.1% sales-and-use tax for criminal justice purposes, citing rising public defense costs and an expected implementation in spring 2026; the measure passed 2-1 after public comment and debate over supplanting existing funds.
Island County commissioners voted 2 to 1 on Dec. 1 to adopt Ordinance C64-25, imposing an additional 0.1% county sales-and-use tax dedicated to law-and-justice purposes.
The tax, authorized under state statute cited in the presentation as RCW 82.14.050, includes statutory reporting requirements for the county budget director and the sheriff. County staff said the tax will be implemented on the earliest date allowed under law, likely April 1, 2026, and will appear in current-expense revenue projections that helped the board balance the 2026 budget.
Budget staffer Kevin McCrae summarized the proposal to the board as "a sales and use tax of point 1% ... authorized by state law for criminal justice purposes," and said it contains reporting requirements the budget director and sheriff must follow. The board highlighted the tax would create a dedicated revenue stream for law-and-justice activities, including planning for jail resources and higher public-defense costs driven by recent caseload standards.
At the public-comment podium, Tom Walker of Langley said he supports law-enforcement capacity but questioned the process, arguing that voters were not being asked directly. "You're doing it, and you're sending us the bill. That doesn't sit right with me," Walker said, urging caution about placing new costs on residents without a vote.
Commissioner Johnson opposed the tax in deliberations, saying the sales-tax proceeds were being used to supplant existing current-expense funding and that most of the new capacity was already assumed in the budget. "For that reason, I will be voting no on this tax," Johnson said during discussion, and later repeated that she would also vote no on the budget that incorporated the tax.
A fellow commissioner defended the tax as necessary to address growing public-defense obligations and the erosion of current-expense funding. After discussion the board moved, seconded and approved the ordinance by a 2-to-1 margin.
The ordinance text adopted (C64-25) amends the county code to add a law-and-justice sales tax of one-tenth of one percent, with implementation and reporting tied to state law. The county will include the revenue in its 2026 current-expense projections for part-year receipts and incorporate the required reporting steps.
The board did not take a public referendum on the tax; the decision was made by commissioners in the special session. The county intends to publish statutory reports and the budget director and sheriff will provide the reporting required by state law.
