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Burien council moves criminal‑justice 0.1% sales tax ordinance to next consent agenda to fund co‑response and related programs
Summary
Council heard staff describe state House Bill 2015 and a local 0.1% criminal‑justice sales and use tax before voting unanimously to place Ordinance 8 91 on the next regular meeting's consent agenda; staff emphasized the tax would enable grant eligibility and support the city’s co‑response team.
The Burien City Council voted Feb. 23 to place Ordinance 8 91 (a 0.1 percent criminal‑justice sales-and-use tax authorized by the state) on the consent agenda of its next regular meeting after a staff presentation on eligible uses and grant opportunities.
Finance Director Casey explained next steps for applying to the Criminal Justice Training Commission and said the city would need to demonstrate it meets statutory requirements before the state allows collections to begin. Human Services Manager Anya Supancic and police officials described how revenues could sustain Burien’s co‑response team (a mental‑health professional paired with a police officer) and other criminal‑justice or public‑safety programs.
Why it matters: the local sales tax would both let the city collect a modest ongoing revenue stream (0.1 percentage point) and make the city eligible to apply for one‑time grant funding the state has set aside for establishing and expanding co‑response and related programs.
What staff told council
- Eligibility and grants: Casey walked the council through the application process the Criminal Justice Training Commission uses and said some grant windows are already open; the largest short‑term opportunity is a one‑time grant program with tiered priorities. Staff noted the city as a contract city cannot apply directly for some grant windows and would need to coordinate with the King County Sheriff’s Office to pursue certain funds.
- Co‑response and costs: Human Services Manager Anya Supancic said Burien’s co‑response model pairs a contracted mental‑health professional with an officer; the team made 467 contacts and provided referrals to 366 people in 2025, and the program costs roughly $160,000 per MHP annually plus supervision and administrative costs. Chief Tom said he would like the program expanded to 24/7 coverage if additional funding becomes available: “I want this 24 7 in the city.”
Council action and public comment
Councilmember Linda Akey moved to place Ordinance 8 91 on the next regular meeting’s consent agenda and Schilling seconded; the motion passed unanimously. During public comment, Steven Lamphere cautioned that sales taxes are regressive and urged consideration of alternative revenue approaches.
Staff noted a statutory timing consideration: if council declines to act now staff said the city would likely need to seek voter approval at a later date; staff referenced a mid‑2028 deadline as a planning milestone for statutory windows.
Quote: “Co response has become a critical part of our community,” Human Services Manager Anya Supancic said.
The ordinance will appear on the next regular meeting’s consent agenda for the council to consider formal adoption or further discussion.
