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Kittitas County tightens behavioral-health tax process after sunset removal; RFPs move to two-year cycle
Summary
After rescinding the tax's sunset clause, county leaders told the Board of Health they will shift to non-overlapping two-year RFP cycles beginning in 2028, require board-directed funds to go through the regular budget process, and keep a one-year fund balance for emergencies.
Kittitas County outlined changes to how it will spend local behavioral-health tax revenue now that the tax's sunset clause has been removed.
A presenter explained the goals: eliminate overlapping request-for-proposal cycles that created administrative strain for contractors, stabilize annual funding and create predictable fiscal timing. The county will move to a two-year, non-overlapping RFP cycle beginning in 2028; board-directed requests will be handled through the standard county budget process rather than ad-hoc allocations; and one-third of annual revenue will be set aside each year for Kittitas County public schools (agencies have opted in).
The county also plans to maintain a fund balance equal to one year of RFP-cycle funding to cover emergencies without hoarding excess cash. The presenter said the changes follow a multi-stakeholder review including auditors, the deputy prosecutor and the advisory board chair and are intended to make funding more sustainable as collections continue now that the tax has no scheduled expiration.
Why it matters: The reforms aim to reduce administrative overlap and provide clearer expectations for community agencies that apply for funds. County leaders said the RFP timing change should prevent entities from being stranded between contract cycles and make board-directed funding more transparent by processing it through normal budgeting.
What's next: The group that developed the changes will continue to meet and will publish updated policies and procedures tied to the Revised Code of Washington and Washington Administrative Code. The county also plans to use a behavioral-health needs assessment and a strategic plan to guide future allocations.
