Pullman council approves 0.1% sales tax under House Bill 2015 to fund criminal justice training

Pullman’s City Council voted to adopt ordinance 26‑06 on April 14, implementing a 0.1% (one‑tenth of one percent) local sales and use tax authorized under House Bill 2015 to support criminal justice purposes, including officer training and other police services. Mayor Benjamin presided over the meeting as staff and the police department outlined training mandates, costs and expected revenue.

The tax, which staff said would be restricted to criminal justice uses, was presented to council with an urgent timeline: to make the city’s application and enact the tax in time for a July 1 implementation, staff needed council action by April 17 to meet state deadlines and a 75‑day public notice period. Jeff, city staff responsible for financial context, told the council the city expects roughly $200,000 of revenue for the remainder of 2026 and an ongoing annual yield in the range of $600,000–$650,000 thereafter, subject to state collection and distribution timing.

Why it mattered: Staff and police leadership said the revenue would reduce the depth of looming general‑fund cuts and help the department meet a raft of state‑mandated training requirements tied to the Criminal Justice Training Commission. City presenters emphasized many training requirements are unfunded mandates and that the department faces significant fixed costs — notably a multi‑year contract for body‑worn camera systems, the county court services contract, and personnel costs that account for roughly 70% of the police budget.

“Most of these trainings are unfunded state mandates,” the police chief said, explaining that the department must meet deadlines (some in late 2026 and most by Dec. 31, 2027) and that the grant application allows 180 days after filing to come into compliance. The department also highlighted operational drivers such as an Axon contract for body‑worn cameras (spread over five years) and a backlog of roughly 300 unfulfilled public records requests, many involving video that requires time‑intensive redaction.

Opposition and support: Public comment at the start of the meeting reflected concern about tax impacts on local businesses. Bryce Erickson, owner of B&L Bicycles, told the council he was “concerned about the increase in sales tax” and warned that higher sales tax could deter shoppers from Pullman, including those crossing from Idaho. Council debate then focused on whether the city should accept the near‑term revenue option or demand a clearer plan to grow the tax base before approving new taxes.

Councilmember McDonald said he would vote no because he would not back a tax increase without a specific plan to increase the city’s taxable activity; in contrast, Councilmember Fitzgerald said a no vote without an alternative is “not a governing position” and that the community deserves funded public safety now. Several councilmembers said the tax would not eliminate budget gaps but would help avoid deeper frontline service cuts.

Motion and outcome: After discussion, the council adopted ordinance 26‑06 to implement the House Bill 2015 sales tax option; staff said the tax proceeds would be used solely for criminal justice purposes and that implementation on July 1 required the April vote and subsequent state steps.

What’s next: Staff said the city will submit the application to the state as required, implement the local administrative steps for July 1 (if approved by the state), and continue longer‑term work on revenue expansion and structural budget changes. Council members also directed staff to return with specifics on where additional cuts would fall if the tax had not passed and to continue exploring growth‑focused strategies (tourism, lodging, and housing) as part of a broader fiscal plan.

The council took no additional budget action at the meeting beyond approving the ordinance; staff warned further difficult decisions will be needed to address structural shortfalls.